A Color Most Easily Stained
by the monochromatic
Summary: "Pure I may be, but I am not perfect." When InuYasha and Co. are charged with protecting Tsumi, naturally, things go horribly awry and hijinks ensue...but at the hands of Sesshomaru? Or is it Naraku? Read on to find out. rating subject to change.
1. One: A Living Canvas

So. This is my first attempt at a lengthy, thought-out story.

First things first: I do not own _InuYasha_ or anything pertaining to it. It should also be mentioned here and now that this story has no place in canon; if that bothers you, you might not want to read this. But I did my best to write in-character and to create a believable story arc. I hope anyone who reads this enjoys it. And if you do, let me know about it!

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><p><strong>One: A Living Canvas<strong>

_Why on earth would somebody want to kidnap Tsumi?_ Kagome wondered. The girl was pretty enough...maybe some cruel lord wished to steal her away? No, that did not seem likely. It would be easier just to negotiate a marriage than go through the hassle of an abduction. _Then again, isn't she kind of against marriage?_ It was difficult to remember the details – everything was so blurry from the last day and a half.

"I don't see why we're wasting our time escorting this girl to a temple _miles out of our way_," InuYasha griped, hardly making the effort to lower his voice.

"InuYasha!" Kagome jabbed him with an elbow. "You don't always have to be so rude, do you?"

"Humph." The disgruntled hanyou crossed his arms and looked away, chastised.

"It's the least we can do for a pretty lady," Miroku interjected.

Behind them, Tsumi chortled, amused by the monk's hopeless cause. "I'm flattered by your complements, monk," she told him in that quiet voice of hers, "but I must insist that you have no standing with me." Her face softened at Miroku's disappointed flush. "Do not take it personally, Miroku. _No man_ holds standing with me. You are a fine specimen, and I am sure you will find a willing wife someday," she smiled.

"Ha, I think Tsumi needs her eyes checked," InuYasha remarked.

They stopped to make camp near the edge of a rushing river, twilight settling over them like a warm blanket. Crickets began to chirp and a slight, pleasant breeze rustled through the grass. Already, the moon rose through the sky, translucent in the glow of the setting sun. Only high, high above did the first pinpricks of starlight begin to emerge.

Tsumi was a quiet girl, and if not for her impeccable manners, it would have been easy to believe she was stuck-up. She had been attacked by a couple of masked men while the group had conveniently been passing through, and though she'd begged not to be dismissed, the town headman ordered her away to a safer place, a temple in the hills. Of course, when asked if they might see her there safely, there was (nearly) a unanimous agreement, and so that was how Tsumi had come to be a member of their motley gang – however temporary.

"I don't think you should bother her, InuYasha," warned Sango, seeing him head in Tsumi's direction. She had meandered over by the riverbank and was looking contemplative. "She's had such a rough ordeal."

But InuYasha did not listen, walking right past Sango to approach their charge. He sat down beside her, a foot or two away. The shadows had lengthened to the point of consumption, the violent orange dusk the only source of light left.

"You don't mind if I sit here, do ya'?" he asked, if only to defy Sango.

"M-mm." Tsumi shook her head. Her hair was pulled up in a ragged, limp bun, but she seemed unconcerned with fixing it. They were silent for several moments, InuYasha trying to discern a suitable way to ask what he wanted. Maybe he _was_ rude, but he sure as hell wasn't disrespectful. "It is a fine line to walk, InuYasha, the line between rudeness and disrespect. Be wary," she cautioned, an amused smile dancing across her lips.

_Can she read my thoughts?_ he wondered, anxious.

"Not really," she answered him aloud. "If I were telepathic, I wouldn't be speaking to you like this."

"What kind of trick are you pulling?" he demanded, unsettled at the invasion of privacy.

"I apologize," she inclined her head in his direction. "It is a curse. It's..." she searched herself for the simplest explanation, "a result of my purity."

"Oh," he said. "Well...just ignore me, okay?" He sat beside her still, though, his earlier pursuit rendered useless. If she could hear what he was thinking...

"Go ahead and ask whatever you like. But I won't answer unless you do." Her eyes narrowed as she stared down at her own hands, demure and pale. "I feel invasive, answering questions that have not been asked out loud."

"Didn't seem to bother you a minute ago," he grumbled, but got no response. So, out with it, he supposed. "Why is it you won't marry? Got a grudge against men or something? Or is it this _purity_ nonsense?" The notion of being alone was just fine for him, given his situation, but he could not understand such an aversion in a human, especially in a human _female_. _It's one thing to turn down that lecherous Miroku_, he thought before he could stop himself, _but four years of suitors? And some of them nobles_...

Without acknowledging his private thoughts, Tsumi answered his question as if it were a casual inquiry, not the grave, personal matter it was. It almost bothered him that she didn't begrudge him as he'd expected. "InuYasha, if I bore any ill toward men, do you think that would stop me from marrying?" She gazed into his eyes, and between her ocher stare and her strange skill, he felt pierced; he squirmed in discomfort. "And, in ways, yes. My...condition...does bar me from marriage. It has stripped me of some of the usual urges of my tiny, human life. I am not plagued with the incessant ticking clock of ordinary women; I feel no desperate need to bear children."

A stone's throw away, InuYasha swore he heard Miroku groan.

"Even if that were to change, I don't think I'd risk bringing children into the world."

Curiosity itched at InuYasha's ears and despite all that was good and proper – in part because he knew it wouldn't matter – he asked, "Why not?"

Grimly, she smiled. Her lips were blanched and thin, probably from the strain of almost being kidnapped. "I would hate to bestow a similar curse on an innocent life, if it can be helped."

He understood this feeling very well. It was something that had occasionally drifted in and out of the back of his own mind. "I guess that makes sense." He stood to leave, but to his utmost surprise, Tsumi grabbed onto a bit of his hakama. "Huh?"

"InuYasha, thank you," she murmured. She was almost inaudible over the gurgle of the river. "Thank you for voicing your questions. And thank you for being patient with your comrades and their service to me." She let go of him. "It is kind of you, despite yourself," she smiled.

"Yeah, yeah...no problem." He left her by the bank, feeling a little unnerved.

oOo

"How much longer do you think he will be, Master Jaken?" The little girl was staring into the night, somewhat aimlessly, for she had no clue in which direction her guardian might come. "Rin is worried," she admitted.

"I know not, silly girl. Now stop pestering me. I am confident Lord Sesshomaru will return sooner rather than later, unscathed, of course." But even Jaken was starting to get that nagging, nervous feeling. His esteemed Lord Sesshomaru had been gone since high noon, and now the stars had shifted so far in the sky that he was contemplating defying his orders and seeking his master out. But the kappa shuddered at the thought of what consequence would befall him if he left Rin with only Ah-Un for company.

"But _Jaken_," Rin whined. Like most young girls, she was not good at waiting. And like most demons, Jaken was not good at – or interested in – entertaining young girls.

Not even a second after this exchange, however, did a tiny gleam far off in the sky alert them to their master's arrival. Rin bounced around the dragon, giddy, dizzying Jaken as she dragged him in circles like a puppet cut loose from its strings. "Lord Sesshomaru!" she cried. "Lord Sesshomaru, Lord Sesshomaru!"

"Let me go!" Jaken huffed, feeling nauseous from being flung 'round. This was a mistake. Obedient as she was, Rin released his green hands and he went flying through the air, coming to a bone-curdling halt face-first in the dirt. Apparently, Rin was capable of astounding momentum despite her small size.

Sesshomaru touched down soundlessly upon the earth, chuckling at the scene that greeted him. Immediately, Rin rushed over, stopping short of bumping into him and gazed up at him with wide, sparkling eyes. "Lord Sesshomaru! You are back!" she exclaimed, jubilant. "Rin was so worried!" she confessed.

"It's alright, Rin. All is well." He stroked her hair a moment before turning on Jaken. "Do I find you in good condition, Jaken?" he asked, referring to the fall the imp had just taken.

As if nothing had happened, Jaken was on his feet, bowing at once. "Yes, Lord Sesshomaru, I'm quite well! And so pleased at your safe return – not that I ever doubted –"

"Good," Sesshomaru cut him off. "Then I feel no remorse in criticizing your poor care of Rin in my absence." His voice was an even keel, to the casual observer, but Jaken could detect the angry weight of disappointment in his words. "This meadow is open to more than the elements. What if Rin had been stolen from us? What then, do you suppose?"

"My lord! Who would come for the child?" he gestured to Rin, who at this point was paying no mind; satisfied that Sesshomaru had returned, she was beginning to doze against Ah-Un, the thick fringe of his saddle entangled in her hair. "And how could I have known you'd be gone so long?" begged Jaken, his yellow eyes implicit.

"It matters not," said Sesshomaru, scooping Rin into his arms. She slept on. "No ill came of your misjudgment, which is good." Never taking his eyes off the girl, he spoke softly, "It would have meant your life."

Jaken gulped, but faithfully led a stubborn Ah-Un into the woods behind his master. Heavy silence filled the tense hole between them for a time, until Sesshomaru settled in a smaller clearing, placing Rin to rest on a blanket to cushion her from the many sticks and lumps of the imperfect ground. When he himself had taken a place between the roots of a massive tree, Jaken cleared his throat and dared to speak up.

"Where were you, Sesshomaru-sama, and why for so long?"

Sesshomaru did not answer immediately. He gazed up at the thick canopy of leaves, keen eyes aware of every shaft of moonlight. He considered the meeting he had held: what it meant, what purpose it posed. It would certainly be necessary to relinquish _some _detail, lest he lose his patience _and_ his servant. But it was not a reveal he relished. Checking to see that Rin was entirely asleep, he then turned to Jaken.

"I have forged a bargain," he began, casually examining a cuticle. "A bargain with Naraku."

Jaken gasped. "But my lord!" he protested, "why, after the shameful way you were betrayed, would you even _consort_ with Naraku again? Why did you not slay him on the spot?"

Once more, Sesshomaru hesitated. He was not sure how much information was worth expending. "That is a foolish question, Jaken." The berated look on the kappa's little, green face lent some pleasure to Sesshomaru's protracted day. "I could not have killed him, given that I spoke only with one of his puppets. He is still a coward," he added extraneously. "In any case, it is a simple pact – one I should be able to easily fulfill. There is little effort and trust, on my part. If anything," he said, "it is Naraku who ought to be wary." The thought excited him, deep down, playing to his vengeful nature. "That is all I will say for now."

"Yes, my lord." But as Jaken stalked off for a place to rest, he couldn't help but feel his master was making a terrible mistake.

oOo

The pounding in his head dissipated almost instantly, but the memory of it lingered. If he never heard the word 'sit' again, it would be only too soon.

"You're not supposed to go around asking people such personal questions!" Kagome told him.

"That holier-than-thou attitude isn't a good look for you, Kagome," he warned, agitated. "And besides, she _thanked me_ for asking her."

"InuYasha, you're so full of it! Why would anyone want to be asked that kind of thing by someone they'd just met?"

"Search me," he pouted, "but she did. And I'm not full of anything!"

"Oh _please_," she sighed, "you're so full of it, I'm surprised your eyes aren't brown!"

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Down the line aways, Tsumi placed her hand to one side of her mouth and whispered, "Do they always bicker so?"

"I'd be worried if they didn't," Shippo replied from Sango's shoulder. "Don't worry. It's just how they say they like each other."

Tsumi shook her head. "And people think _I'm_ strange." As they walked along the tapered dirt road, she was consumed by her own thoughts. Cool though she might have appeared, she was inwardly terrified; it was one thing to be openly pursued by a person – this was not the first attempt at abduction she had endured – but it was another matter entirely to not know the identity of one's pursuer. She tried to catalog all the men she had rejected in her lifetime, tried to recall which one of them might resort to such barbaric measures, but no one stood apart from the rest.

"Tsumi, can I ask you a question?" Shippo's voice forced Tsumi out of the whirlwind raging inside. Rarely was she surprised by an inquiry, but she figured she had been too immersed in her own thoughts.

"Of course, Shippo."

"You _really_ didn't mind InuYasha's rude questions?" the kitsune asked, astonished.

"Not at all," she replied. "Any conversation is a welcome change from what I'm accustomed to. And InuYasha is so honest in his queries. It was refreshing." _Everybody who knows always tip-toes around me_, she thought. _I'm sick of it_. _...Oh!_ It occurred to her then: she could not hear Shippo's thoughts! It didn't matter how engrossed in her own thoughts she was or wasn't – she simply could not hear him! It was lovely, the peacefulness of relative silence – she could still detect hints of Sango and Miroku, for they were close by. But one less voice to be heard...it was, nice.

"I have to say," Sango added, "you handled being rescued by a demon well enough. Most people lose it when InuYasha steps on the scene."

"Well, he is only half," shrugged Tsumi. "I've never met a demon before, so he made a good first impression," she joked. Behind them, they could still hear bits and pieces of an argument as it ground down to a terse halt. Looking over her shoulder, she remarked, "He's not half bad."

"It's easier to tolerate him when you don't have to live with him," Sango stated.

They stopped to rest and to eat when the sun was highest in the sky, and again, Tsumi was bombarded with questions, this time for all to hear. She didn't seem to mind.

"So, lemme' get this straight," said InuYasha through a mouthful of Ramen, "you were born a pure soul, and you just _stayed_ that way? How is that possible? Don't you ever make mistakes?"

"_InuYasha_!" Kagome thumped him hard on the shoulder and he growled.

"It's fine," Tsumi waved. "I honestly don't understand the mechanics of it, but yes. That is essentially the sum of my existence."

"And it prevents you from...from _want_? From any kind of base instinct?" he dug, much to the chagrin of everyone around him, save Tsumi of course. But the idea was so absurd to him that he forgot all about the chastening glares that were aimed in his direction.

"Not exactly," she answered, stirring the foreign noodles around in the Styrofoam cup. "I still feel everything that you would feel, but the condition prevents me from _acting_ on instinct. Believe me," she laughed, cynically, "I've tried. But I could never achieve an end that was less than becoming. It's maddening," she admitted.

"Sounds it," he agreed, ears twitching.

"What about you, InuYasha, if I may be so bold as to ask. Surely we share some kind of affinity?"

The hanyou pondered his Ramen quietly for a moment. He didn't know if he wanted to answer in front of everyone, and he knew Tsumi would hear his unspoken concern.

"I apologize," she bowed slightly, "it was an impertinent question." And as if she had never asked it at all, Tsumi engaged herself in conversation with Sango and Kagome, praising the wonder of modern food.

_She's right though_, he thought. _I do understand. I know what it's like to want so badly to do the 'wrong' thing_... After some long and, frankly, uncharacteristic consideration, he decided to take the matter up with her again when they could speak alone. _It would be...alright_, he decided, _to speak of this to someone._

And just as he'd predicted, Tsumi heard his decision.

That evening, long after everyone had fallen to sleep, InuYasha approached Tsumi. She stayed awake – out of fear, he suspected – and didn't seem bothered by the few, short hours of repose she did achieve. He sat across from her, the fire crackling between them, legs crossed. The shadows created by the smoldering flames jumped across his face at odd angles, making him appear more foreboding in the dark.

"You don't have to discuss it if you do not want," she told him.

"I want to."

"Very well." Tsumi sat quietly, patient, waiting for InuYasha to initiate this delicate discussion.

After clearing his throat and making sure no one was eavesdropping, he said, "You were right, earlier. I do understand. I just..." he paused, unaccustomed to being so free with himself, "I didn't want to scare the others." He jerked his head at the sleeping lumps around them.

"Logically," she nodded. He thought her dark eyes looked tired. Not from lack of sleep, but from some sort of burden, as if she'd carried an immensely heavy boulder this entire time. "I must remind myself of the nature of your own plight – despite our similarities, yours differs greatly from mine." She bowed to him again. "I apologize for presuming as I did."

"It's no big deal," he insisted, flushing. To fill the awkward silence that had descended upon them, he asked, "How can you hear thoughts?"

Her arched eyebrows met in a graceful frown while she decided how to explain it; she barely understood it, herself. "Well," she started, not meeting his eyes, "it is my belief that because of my..." she detested the word, "purity, it is all too easy for the thoughts and wills of others to become my own. As I told you the other night, I do not _read_ thoughts. I cannot reply in return. But they intrude upon my own consciousness perpetually."

"That's awful," he muttered.

"I wish I could say one gets used to it," she smirked, "but that would be too big a lie to tell." Cocking her head to one side, she said, "I noticed that I cannot hear Shippo's thoughts, however. I wonder if it is because he is a demon."

This notion did not grab InuYasha immediately. "Why?"

"Until you and your friends came along – and I am so very thankful you did – I'd never come in contact with demons. I assumed it would be the same. But you are also half human, InuYasha; your demonic nature, suppressed as it is, does not interfere with your human thoughts. But Shippo...I can't glean a thing from him. And it is wonderful," she sighed.

"Must be nice," he said. "Not having to hear the babble _that_ kid is sure to come up with."

For the first time since their meeting, a full-fledged grin burst across Tsumi's face. It was remarkable how drastically such mirth transformed her usually stolid appearance. She was almost beautiful. "If I could trade hearing all the morose babble of adults for the simple babble of a child," she said, nearly laughing, "I would do it in an instant."


	2. Two: Misreading Every Sign

**Two: Misreading Every Sign**

The logic seemed backwards, and Kagura, for one, shook her head at it. "I've never known you to tolerate failure, Naraku," she said scathingly. "Or are you growing soft in your desperation?" More to the point, she was feeling stung by her exclusion in this secretive pact of his.

Dulcet, menacing laughter bubbled up in Naraku's throat. His carmine eyes searched his own manifestation for some sign of jest, to see if she was really so clueless. It would seem that she was, for no sign of comprehension dawned on her angular face. "Do you really believe I have failed?" he asked. "Is it possible that you do not see what success I have achieved?"

"How is this success?" she exploded at him. He didn't even flinch. "They _failed_ to capture the girl!"

Another low chuckle. "Capture was not my objective, dear Kagura. The raid," he shifted his position on the floor, "was merely a diversion; an elaborate hoax designed to drive our prey out of her safe haven." His smirk erupted into a manic grin. "And it worked."

"And I suppose you're going to ask _me_ to fetch the wretched thing?" Kagura complained.

"Not at all. I have taken care of that already," he answered, knowing she would recall the counsel he'd held two days before.

Kagura's eyes widened and she felt a pang of jealousy and intrigue all at once stab her in the heart. "Sesshomaru? And why should he be entrusted to this task?" she demanded. "Wouldn't it have proved easier to snatch the girl from the beginning?"

"Perhaps," answered Naraku, "were my only pursuit. As for _Lord Sesshomaru_," he sneered, "he provides me with several services in one, even if he does not know it. But let us abandon the matter, Kagura. I grow bored with your questions." Of course, what he really meant was that he would not tell her any more, and that she either had to guess at his purpose or drop it completely.

_It figures_, she thought hatefully. _I'm so sick of your scheming, Naraku. Your games grow tired_. But, well aware of the finality of her master's words, Kagura left him to bask in the glory of his mysterious exploit so that she might unravel his very tangled skein. A human girl, of no particular value..._what does he want with this Tsumi girl?_ she thought venomously. _What power could she hold? Surely nothing Naraku is not capable of on his own!_

But the more she tried to understand, the more complicated it all became, and eventually, she relented, succumbing to a violent headache.

oOo

The question was not _how_ he would capture her, it was _when_. For one thing, Sesshomaru noted that nearly each night for the past three nights, it was InuYasha who stood guard over the little camp, hand constantly at his side, ready to draw the Tetsusaiga if need be. Not that the hanyou brat was a match for his older brother, but Sesshomaru was under strict orders to leave InuYasha alive.

_"Do not kill that pathetic brother of yours,"_ Naraku's voice rang inside his head. _"There will be plenty of opportunity for that later." _This in and of itself was a challenge; it took all of Sesshomaru's well-groomed discipline not to challenge his brother then and there, so close was he. But being that he'd already mastered a reasonable plan of action, there was no point in jeopardizing his bargain with Naraku – and the reward that awaited him – over such a trivial thing, especially not if it would come to blows regardless.

Night after night, Sesshomaru waded through the tall grass, far away from his brother's tiny pack. He was careful to stay downwind, just out of sight, and though it bothered him to be without Rin for this long, it was something that needed doing. He hoped she wasn't too miserable in Jaken's company. He was certain that, given as little information as he'd been allowed, Jaken was probably grumbling and resentful. Not at all fun for a small girl to be around.

From such great distances, Sesshomaru could only catch glimpses of his target. She was unremarkable in nearly every way: he sensed no strong auras from her, and he could see no discernible signs of great beauty. Not that Naraku ever had much use for women, he was sure. Greater issues took precedence – he of all people understood that. And yet, without further detail, he could not fathom what interest this frail girl held for someone such as Naraku.

_It is not my place to know_, he reminded himself, _only to act_.

The phantom limb Naraku had granted him – a good faith payment, he figured – thrummed as the distance between it and the Tetsusaiga ebbed and ebbed. Sesshomaru hoped it was only a display of his own desire, and not stray trickery on Naraku's part – that he would not tolerate.

This arm...this half-replacement...for as much as it aided Sesshomaru, it tortured him in equal parts. It was functional enough, and even resembled his former limb down to the last magenta stripe. And to another, it was solid, no different than the real thing. But Sesshomaru could feel its weightlessness; he could feel that it was incomplete. And it nagged at him. It tugged on his mind, spurring him on to complete the task he had been set – besides, not only would he gain fuller use and sensation in this specter of an arm, but he had been promised that it would successfully wield Tetsusaiga. _I wonder if it would work for me now,_ he thought. But the risk was not worth taking. Not yet.

So, beneath the warm, night wind, Sesshomaru peered across the plane of grass, the emerald strands tickling his face as he waited, still as a stone.

Meanwhile, deep in the remote places of the rolling foothills, Jaken stood, muttering spell after spell, marking the ground as instructed. He could hear Rin stumbling through the abandoned house behind him, making such a clatter that on several occasions he nearly faltered. But this was the will of his master, so he would do it – however blindly.

Jaken did not like how secretive Lord Sesshomaru had become of late. Not that he'd ever been an open book, but usually when there was treachery to be had or plotting afoot, he was let in on it. All he had received in this vein, however, was that he was to take Rin and go to a specific location and prepare it, stocking it with provisions and guarding it with as many incantations as time would allow.

When the faithful retainer had asked what for, he was given no answer...not even a condescending chuckle.

"Look, Master Jaken!" Rin came running out from the house, a cracked vase in hand. Bursting forth from the vase was a disgusting bouquet of flora, no color matching or complementing another, only a clash of mismatched hues. "I picked flowers!"

Too tired and too frustrated to answer her, he kept on with his work, starting over where his concentration had been broken.

"Where is Sesshomaru-sama," the girl wondered aloud, "and what is he up to?" She was not expecting an answer, and Jaken was surprised at himself for wishing that he had one for her. But these were questions he too was plagued with, and it unsettled him to feel sympathy for Rin, as it meant they were of the same rank.

oOo

The sun was barely up, but Tsumi could not fall back asleep. Having so much company daunted her, and she was forced to think on things she would normally avoid. This was surely the downside of her cursed loneliness being lifted. Overhead, a lark glided on the wind, chirruping madly. She smiled; this was still better than being alone, and she would miss the five companions when it was time to part. She sighed. Was this her lot in life?

"You seem troubled."

Tsumi started, whirling around to see Miroku standing perhaps a yard away. How had she not noticed him?

"Pardon me," he apologized, "I should have made my presence known."

_No, I should've heard you coming_, she thought. "It is fine. You gave me a fright, is all. Did I wake you?" she asked, fearing that she hadn't been as quiet as she'd intended.

"Not at all," he said, coming to stand with her. Veins of red reached into the sky; it was a violent sunrise. "I was wondering if we might speak?"

_Ah_, she thought, finally getting a whiff of his thoughts. Miroku was different: he did not think in words like most; he thought in pictures, in sounds...in memories and fantasies. _He means no harm_, she thought, steeling herself for the conversation ahead. "Certainly," she told him. She sat down, motioning that he should do the same.

"It's strange...InuYasha has warmed to you quickly. The two of you seem to be forging a fast friendship."

In her mind, she saw what he saw: she and the hanyou, huddled together by the riverbank, speaking in low whispers; the two of them sitting side by side at night, at the very edge of the group, not talking, just listening; InuYasha volunteering himself to accompany her when she strayed into the wood, presumably to bathe or relieve herself. Tsumi wasn't surprised, but she found herself off-put by the implication.

But Miroku had said nothing aloud, so she wouldn't address it. "Forgive me for my impertinence, but please, Miroku, get to the point."

"I cannot help but wonder," he said gently, a look of benign amusement on his face, "if perhaps our demon friend has convinced you to reconsider the merits of –"

Tsumi couldn't stand to let him finish. "No, I have not taken to InuYasha, if that is what you are saying. I can't. As I explained the other day," she said, "I am not permitted to act on such whims. Besides, he is not...not my preference." She didn't know how else to say it. She liked InuYasha, as a friend. He was certainly kind-hearted, if only a tad brash, but...no.

Miroku, navigating the delicate subject as if it were no more than casual banter, considered this for a moment or two. "Is it because he is half demon?"

... ... ... "Yes," she whispered, "and no." Gazing up into the sky, Tsumi felt a tiny little pang in the pit of her heart. "If ever I was given the chance," she said softly, "the chance to...have love, and bear children," she smirked at Miroku, "I could not do so with a demon – hanyou or youkai."

"Oh?"

"You overheard my conversation with him, didn't you? How I do not wish to pass on my _gift_?" she sneered. He nodded, looking embarrassed at having been found out for eavesdropping. "I hate to imagine the consequences of bringing a child into the world, both with my cursed purity _and_ demon blood. Can you not see where that might go wrong, monk?"

But Miroku's face had become grave. "No, I believe I understand. If the two traits coincided, the child would be forever conflicted – full of raging, demonic urges but unable to fulfill even the most harmless ones..." he nodded. "A sad predicament, indeed."

"Not that it matters," she reminded him, "because I can't even get close enough to a man for that to be of concern." She sighed. "Besides, I've only known InuYasha a few days. And I like that Kagome – she is good for him," she smiled. "Even if he doesn't know it, yet."

"Oh, he knows it alright," Miroku laughed, "he just won't admit it."

Tsumi chuckled, her voice lost in a sudden burst of morning breeze.

By midmorning, the group could see the outline of foothills, hazy in the distance. Tsumi sat awkwardly atop Kirara's back, holding fast to Sango so as not to fall off. In her kimono, she did not feel confident about straddling the beast, so she had tucked her feet up under herself and was desperately trying not to fly sideways with every stray bump.

"We're almost there," she said, more to herself than the others.

"You don't sound too excited," Sango noted. "You really don't want to go, do you?"

"No." Tsumi thought about the destruction laid onto the village: the fire had spread to two other houses, and those men had nearly been the cause of a massacre..._no_, she thought, _I was nearly the cause of a massacre_. "But I can't stay in the village when I pose a threat. So, I'll do what I must." _Even if it infuriates me_, she thought bitterly. She hated that the first place anyone thought to send her was to a temple.

"Who do you think is after you?" Sango asked. Her fingers pawed absentmindedly through Kirara's soft fur.

"I honestly do not know," admitted Tsumi. "I've considered that maybe I'm being pursued by a rejected suitor, but..." she shook her head, confused, "I can't imagine who would insist on such barbaric methods."

"I agree, I don't think it was a man who was out to keep you – not if he was willing to set your home ablaze," Sango said. "But then why try to kidnap you?" she wondered aloud.

"Maybe he didn't care if she was dead or alive," InuYasha suggested, falling back, "so long as he had her."

"What would _you_ know about it, InuYasha?" Sango asked. "What would the point be?"

"Ha, shows how much _you_ know. Tsumi, I don't think this guy wanted you to be his wife." His amber eyes searched her brown ones for understanding. "He wanted you for something else."

"What are you babbling about, InuYasha?" Sango demanded.

But behind her, Tsumi nodded at him. "I was to be taken for my purity," she realized. "Why had I never thought of that?"

InuYasha shrugged. "You're not that despicable," he teased. Without warning, he pulled her down from Kirara, letting her gently onto the ground. Sango glared at him. "I got to thinking about what you said, about other peoples' wills and stuff becoming your own," he murmured.

"_Oh_," she gasped.

In front of them, Miroku kept glancing over his shoulder. Tsumi didn't need to see what he was thinking, for it was plainly written across his face. She cast him a warning scowl.

"So you're saying someone wants to use Tsumi?" Seemingly out of nowhere, Shippo popped up and inserted himself in their discussion. "Why don't you just defy your purity, then," he asked, "so no one can use you?"

"Would you butt out?" InuYasha grabbed the kit by his tail, hauling him up to eye level. Shippo squirmed hopelessly. "It's rude to listen in on other peoples' conversations, ya' know!"

"You should talk!" retorted the fox.

"Oh stop it, you two." Tsumi plucked Shippo from InuYasha's clawed hands and placed him on her shoulder. He wrapped his fluffy tail around her neck in thanks. "Shippo," she craned her neck so she could look at him, "it's not so simple. As I said, I've tried to defy myself. There are lots of things I wish I could do that I've been prevented from doing. I am not free to make my own choices," she acknowledged sadly. "It's similar to Kagome's 'sit' command."

InuYasha flinched out of habit.

Lifting the beads from his chest with a finger, Tsumi continued, "It is like asking InuYasha why he doesn't just remove the necklace."

"Yeah, like I haven't tried," grumbled the hanyou.

They had only started to enter the hills when day began blurring into night. Crows circled overhead and the very ground felt restless. While everyone else worked near the fire, InuYasha stood rigid, far from the commotion, hackles up.

"I don't like this," he growled. "Something isn't right."

"Oh, calm down," Kagome chided him from beside the fire, "you're just nervous."

"_I ain't nervous_!" he yelled, ego sore.

Kagome rolled her eyes and said nothing. _It's okay to be nervous, InuYasha. You'll be out of commission tonight and everyone knows it. It's nothing to be ashamed about_.

Tsumi looked at Kagome, but what was she supposed to say? 'Oops, I overheard what you were thinking...' What did she mean, _out of commission_? InuYasha did seem on edge, but what could possibly make him nervous? He seemed so sturdy and fearless. She sighed, tired, confused and not altogether enthused about reaching their destination in the morning; parting ways with these people...it would be a sad affair, especially when she was expected to grow accustomed to temple life. _Maybe I cannot _act _on base instincts_, she thought, _but it's not as if I don't think about it_.

"Tsumi?"

"Huh?"

Kagome was looking at her with those big, searching eyes. It was a little unnerving how kind she looked, yet how invasive she could be, and without even trying. Her thoughts were harmless, jumbled...difficult to untangle from one another. "What will you do once you're at the temple?" she asked.

It was probably the simplest question ever asked, and yet, Tsumi could not produce a good answer. "I do not know," she wilted. "And I don't know how long I will remain there. Sometimes," she said, "I think I should just run away from all of this. But then, it wouldn't matter."

"I guess not," Kagome nodded, "if you'd still have to live like this." Her thoughts were so full of sympathy, so rife with sad concern, that it nearly made Tsumi cry. This girl was a truly kind soul.

"I'm really going to miss you, Kagome," she said. "Take care of yourself."

oOo

Raised voices. Familiar by now, wafting through the night, settling obnoxiously in his ears. Sesshomaru turned his head in their general direction and waited, in case he might hear something of import. _Not likely_, he thought.

"I just wanna' be alone! Is that too much to ask?" InuYasha's abrasive growl rang all too clearly through the dark.

"Then why are you taking Tsumi with you?" It was the monk, Miroku. And why _was_ InuYasha taking the girl with him?

_This should be interesting_, thought Sesshomaru.

"He just wants to talk," she assured the monk. It was the first time Sesshomaru had heard her voice. It was clear and concise, yet low and almost soothing. It was devoid of strong, human emotion, but something fearsome and hidden lay deep inside of it.

The trees and bushes rustled, trembling as the pair marched through them, emerging and taking seats in the grass. _Ah_. _Of course_, Sesshomaru realized, seeing InuYasha reduced shamefully to mortal status – at this point, he hardly felt obliged to call him 'brother.' _It will be so easy_, he thought. _Tonight is the night_.

"So," Tsumi spoke, placing a slender hand on InuYasha's shoulder. "_This_ is why you want the Shikon Jewel."

He didn't respond for a moment. He had to think about that. "I don't even know anymore," he finally said. "I hate this period of weakness, and I hate only being _half_ of anything, but..."

_Why does he hesitate?_ Sesshomaru wondered, surprised. _Consorting with humans has weakened him more than I imagined_.

"I've been full youkai before too," he continued, unaware of the danger so close at hand. "It wasn't anything like I thought it would be." He waited for Tsumi to say something, knowing she could hear the churning maelstrom within. But she didn't say a word. "It's like I have no control," he said. "I lose my _mind_ whenever that happens!"

Tsumi rubbed his shoulder, comforting, yet distant. "Do you believe it would be any different if you used the Jewel to change yourself?" she asked. Sesshomaru thought she looked...uncomfortable.

"I don't..." InuYasha paused, stifling the brimming, human emotions inside of him, which threatened to spill over. It was a disgusting sight. "I don't know. And everyone is so convinced that it's the wrong thing to do...but I just want..." He shook with anger.

"InuYasha," she grabbed hold of him, surprising them both, "I don't know what you should do, but I cannot say that to change yourself would be wrong." She held him like a sibling, close to her heart. "I know that, given the chance, I would change myself too." And they stayed like that for a while, naught but a steadfast clump in the moonless night.

"It's just," he finally pried himself out of her arms, "my brother..._half_-brother," he corrected himself, "is a full demon. And he is always so in control of himself. Me? Ha!" he scoffed. "I lose it every time I go youkai."

The girl shrugged. Her kimono was far too big for her, and the ragged thing swallowed her up. "Maybe it means something," she told him, "or maybe not. But you don't want to become human?"

"_No_," he said.

Sesshomaru then tuned out the rest of the conversation, thinking to himself, _There may be hope for him yet_. He waited in the shadows for the duration of the night until at last, the sounds of activity diminished into the quietness of sleep. And, human as he was, eventually InuYasha was forced to accept the ache of slumber, and he closed his eyes.

Without a sound, Sesshomaru stepped into the dim light of the waning fire and scanned the six lumps around him. InuYasha was propped against a tree, sound asleep, while the others were all stretched into various positions of repose. But Tsumi was easy to spot: she was the only one who had curled into a ball, despite the heat, and was the only one whose smell didn't send him reeling. He stood over her for a minute, just looking. As before, he saw nothing of significance: no grace in her face or poetry in her body. But her distinct lack of human smell...it confounded him. Could _that_ be the linchpin of Naraku's interest? What a silly, simple thing... Sesshomaru bent down and scooped her into his arms, closing a hand tightly over her mouth. Holding her against his chest, he whispered in her ear, "If you value your life – or the lives of your companions – do not scream or cry out." It was an empty threat, of course, but she did not know that.

Noiselessly, she allowed herself to be steered away through the dark, not so much fearful as ashamed; how could she have let her guard down? Did she feel that safe? Her hands balled into fists of hopeless frustration and she would have groaned if she thought she could. When they stopped many yards from the camp, she remained silent while her wrists and ankles were bound with rope. _Is that necessary?_ she wondered. She yearned to look back, to just get one last glimpse of her friends, but she didn't dare.

At length, Sesshomaru lifted her completely off the ground and took off into the night. It wasn't long before the girl was rendered unconscious under the effort of retaining her scream of fright and her shock at being airborne.

_Humans are such weak creatures_, he thought. _What does Naraku want with one?_

* * *

><p>Comments and constructive critique are always welcome :)<em><br>_


	3. Three: The Unexpected Signature

The Unexpected Signature

Every blade of grass felt like the edge of a knife. InuYasha searched and searched, and every time he swiped aside a clump of grass, he hoped to find Tsumi but expected nothing. So far, his expectations had proved more consistent with reality than his hopes. _This is my fault_, he thought. _How could I let myself fall asleep like that?_ Miroku had theorized that she'd left without them in the early hours of morning, a kind of gentle abandonment to ease their parting. But InuYasha didn't believe that for a second. For one thing, he could _smell_ her, and her smell doubled back on itself into the planes, away from the hills. For another, it didn't seem like her. In the days he'd come to know her, Tsumi had proved to be a reliable, dutiful person – to a point of fault. There was no way she could just leave like that.

_"But she _did_ say how she just wanted to run away,"_ Kagome's voice reverberated through his skull. He shook his head, cutting through another patch of grass. "There's no way," he muttered to himself. He wondered if she was even capable of running away – would her curse deem that an improper act? Would she allow herself to detach from the task at hand?

_Whoa_. Suddenly, her scent grew muddled, befouled by another, muskier aroma. The musk nearly overpowered Tsumi's own trail, and in one spot it grew so strong only to disappear entirely, apparently taking Tsumi's with it. _Tsumi didn't run away_, thought InuYasha angrily, _she was taken from us_.

The entire way back, InuYasha struggled with himself. This was not their battle. There probably wasn't a jewel shard on the other end of this plight and if anything, engaging in a rescue mission would only hamper them in their quest for shards...but poor Tsumi... _We can't just leave her, can we?_ On the one hand, it was entirely possible that the demon – for it was most definitely a demon – who kidnapped her had already made a decent snack of her, or worse. But still...

"Come on, Kagome." InuYasha lowered himself so that she could slip onto his back. "We've gotta' catch up with Sango and Miroku."

"Did you find her?" Kagome looked terrified of what the answer might be.

"Not exactly." He hefted her up effortlessly and started into the hills, following the trail left by Kirara.

"We were supposed to wait by the clearing in case she came back!" exclaimed Shippo, clutching Kagome's green collar. "What if she decides to change her mind and no one's there to –"

"I found her scent, you moron!" he retorted. "And it was mixed with the smell of a demon!"

"Oh!" Kagome's hold tightened on InuYasha instinctively. "InuYasha, we have to find her!"

InuYasha said nothing, still not sure if he thought they should pursue her. It wasn't long though before Kirara came into sight, Miroku and Sango on her back. "Hey! Hold up!"

Surprised, they came to a stop on a verdant, grassy slope. "Did you find her?" Sango's eyes raked them over, not pleased to see that Shippo and Kagome were with him – it answered her question for her.

"She's not at the temple," InuYasha insisted. "She was kidnapped. I followed her scent out to the field where it vanished, along with a demonic aura." He growled, "Someone got right past me."

"InuYasha," Miroku said, "don't blame yourself. You were unprepared."

"Yeah, I know. So come on, and let's check it out."

Back at the field, Miroku tagged after InuYasha through the grass while the others stayed behind so as not to confuse the trail. "There's definitely a demonic aura," agreed the monk. "And something about it is –"

"Familiar," InuYasha finished. "I've got it on the tip of my tongue," he griped. He sniffed the air, concentrating on the foreign odor this time, trying to name it, to place it with a face. The musk was almost bitter, but not sour...maybe the tiniest bit sweet. It was heavy and sleepy and... "What?" InuYasha stopped short. His ears twitched. His skin tingled. _Sesshomaru_, he realized, angry. _What the hell does he have to do with this?_ he wondered. _Now I _have_ to rescue Tsumi. Was he the one, all this time? But it doesn't make any sense..._ "We have to go after her," InuYasha decided. "Go with Sango and Kirara. Take Shippo. I'll follow with Kagome."

Miroku cast InuYasha with a vague, searching glance but didn't protest. As he climbed onto Kirara's back, he mulled over his conversations with Tsumi. Maybe she had no interest in InuYasha. Maybe he had no interest in her. But there was an investment – one of a deep sort, and he was curious to know what might lead the hanyou from his usual relentless pursuits. _InuYasha_, Miroku thought, _have you developed real scruples?_

oOo

Time and sense were lost in the waves of dead sleep that rocked Tsumi. In and out of consciousness she drifted, uncertain of what was up or down, dream or reality. She felt like she was being pushed gently in one direction only to be overturned and tugged in another. Back and forth and back and forth until finally, she opened her eyes.

She found herself on a bed, unbound and alone. Her wrists and ankles ached where she knew rope had once cut into them. But where had the rope gone, she wondered. Mentally she panicked, though her body refused to move. Breathing slowly, she tried to calm down, to catalog her entire body. Nothing felt broken or maimed; nothing felt especially different from how it ought to. She was the same. Her heartbeat slowed, as did her thoughts, and she recalled that she had been taken away from her friends. But the details continued to elude her, tired and stressed as she was. So she lay back down, intending only to rest for a moment before falling completely asleep.

The next time she woke, it was because sunshine was flooding the room, insistent and bright. This time, Tsumi turned over and sat up, flexing her feet and arching her back in a deep stretch. She leaned back on her hands and observed her cage: a simple room with a pine floor and minimal furniture. There was her bed, a table beside her bed, and a plain table with a cracked mirror at the other end of the room. On it was a worn old vase, blue and chipped, but it was bursting with an explosion of wild, unruly color: the flowers cheered her up a little. It was an oddly nice touch to her grim situation.

"When can the girl be delivered?" A smooth voice slithered into her room from the outside, marring the beautiful sunshine and shocking Tsumi in the deepest recesses of her gut. It was familiar. It was the voice of her captor. She shivered.

"Not for a while," the second voice answered, sharp and cunning – a woman's voice. "Preparations have not been finished. And she will be _collected_, not delivered." There was a pause for reaction, but when none came, the woman continued. "The girl is to be kept unharmed until then."

"That's not good enough," said the man. Tsumi felt hard pressed to tell if he was at all interested in what the woman was saying. It was impossible to identify any feeling in his voice; he was an enigma, and all the more dangerous for it.

"Well too bad," spat the woman. "I can't give you any answers, because I don't have any, myself. Did you expect anything else?"

"I suppose not," he admitted. "But I don't relish becoming one of Naraku's ignorant pawns, nor do I wish to play guardian to this human." There was a venomous edge in the man's even voice that chilled every bone in Tsumi's body. She lay down, feeling faint and exhausted.

"You don't seem to mind all that much," the woman said pointedly. "But if you've got a problem, you'll have to take it up with Naraku." There was a ghastly roar of wind, and then nothing. And Tsumi slipped once more into dreamless, cold sleep.

In the yard, Sesshomaru sat to ponder Kagura's words; her greeting had disturbed him. She had volunteered information that certainly Naraku would have preferred to keep secret: that Sesshomaru was not, as he had been led to believe, a secondary avenue, that Naraku had instructed his first assault on the girl to be cursory, to drive her out however possible. _So I was selected all along,_ he mused. _What do I offer Naraku then, in addition to efficiency? It is an unsettling question_.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" It was Rin, floating on the edges of his vision. She came to him when beckoned. "Will we stay a while longer?" she asked, clearly hopeful. It was a small regret of his that he could not provide her with the standard, static upbringing.

Sesshomaru stroked her silky, black hair as she sat beside him to watch a bug crawl over a blade of grass. "Yes Rin, a while longer."

oOo

"He's asking questions," said Kagura by way of greeting. "And he didn't seem amused that I had nothing to offer. What _are_ your preparations, Naraku? What could possibly need preparing for that brat Sesshomaru is watching after?" She was many things: curious, suspicious, but most of all, hopeful. Maybe this girl, this Tsumi, contained something that could be as much threat to Naraku as it could be strength. Maybe she was Kagura's ticket out.

"I am hardly the one making preparations," Naraku chortled, lowering a steaming cup. "And we must all of us – Lord Sesshomaru included – be patient as we wait for the trap to spring." Half his face was hidden under the shadow of his flowing hair.

Blood rose in Kagura's cheeks; she was growing less and less patient by the minute. Clutching her closed fan, she said, "The trap has already sprung! You have the girl in your clutches! Why not go and take her from Sesshomaru and unburden us all?" The fan snapped open and she waved it over herself, flustered.

Naraku did not answer immediately. He sipped from his cup a few times, savoring, before setting it down and standing up. He strode calmly over to his feistiest incarnation, snatched the fan right out of her hand and closed his fingers tightly around her forearm, threatening to make a bruise. "Patience, Kagura," he chuckled. "Patience will reward you, if only you can cultivate it." He released her then, and she felt the sting deep below her skin.

oOo

There was no light in the sky, and consequently, the room was dark when Tsumi awoke. She blinked and blinked, trying to adjust her eyes to the night, and when she finally sat up, she saw that there was a pale little girl in her doorway. She hardly had time to notice the girl's gorgeous, checkered kimono before she took off excitedly down a hall, her small voice ringing through the air.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Sesshomaru!" she called.

_ Sesshomaru_..._is he my captor?_ Tsumi groaned; every bone in her body felt like it was fashioned of lead, and every muscle protested in agony.

"Lord Sesshomaru," the girl said once more. She was outside now, if Tsumi heard right.

"Yes, Rin?" _That voice_.

"Our guest is awake!" the girl exclaimed happily, blissfully ignorant of Tsumi's quandary.

_Who is she?_ thought Tsumi. _Another of his captives? She seems happy enough..._ But she wasn't given long to think it over, because soon a lamp was lit and she was squinting at what could only be her jailer, Sesshomaru. He was tall, with beautiful, long silver hair and golden eyes... _Just like InuYasha's_, thought Tsumi. _He is a demon_. But he was marked too, with florid stripes and a crescent moon upon his brow. His cold beauty made him that much more terrifying. Behind him, Rin floated uncertainly until she was dismissed.

"Good, you are awake." His voice was so icy, that it was hard to imagine anyone – let alone a little girl – forming any sort of attachment to him.

"Sesshomaru, is it?" she rasped. "How long have I slept?"

He raised an eyebrow, but otherwise his face remained unchanged. "You may call me Lord Sesshomaru," he chastised, "and it's been a few days. You must need to eat." He cocked his head, observing her as one might observe a strange animal. "There is food, if you want it."

"I'll do no such thing," she spat.

Sesshomaru fought the urge to strike her; it was doubtful she would remain unharmed if he did, and he was reluctant to administer any lasting wounds in case Naraku should send some messenger or other. So he tried another approach. "And why not?"

Tsumi did not like his cool demeanor. "I don't enjoy the idea of being poisoned," she answered haughtily, "or worse, raped."

Sesshomaru's piercing eyes were not touched by the mirth on his lips; his laughter was soft and delicate, but sinister all the same. "It would be in no way beneficial to me were you to die or become ill: you needn't worry."

"And the other thing?" she demanded.

He scoffed. "Do not fool yourself." He turned on his heel and a massive roll of fur billowed behind him. He stopped in the door, leaving the lamp on the floor for her. "In any case, there is food enough. Rin will gladly keep you company." And with that, he left her in the room, disappearing into the darkness.

Tsumi huffed. _Who does he think he is, abducting me and then having the gall to tell me to call him 'Lord'..._she thought. _The nerve..._ But soon, her grumbling stomach was overruling her stubborn pride, and taking up the lamp, she padded barefoot down the hall, finding a table set with a modest dinner. And sitting at that table, already halfway into a bowl of soup, was the little girl, Rin.

Setting down her bowl, Rin bowed a tiny bit and greeted her. "Hello, Tsumi-san," she smiled. "This dinner is lovely. Won't you have some?"

Despite herself, Tsumi smiled at the sweet girl. She sat down and began serving herself some rice, as well as pouring some soup.

"I am Rin," said Rin. "And I will keep you company!" It was like she was reciting a script given to her by Sesshomaru. Was this girl's happiness manufactured? It seemed so unbelievably real.

"Thank you, Rin. I look forward to it." So she listened to Rin talk about her day, about the past days, about how she liked this house and how it had been she who had left the flowers on the vanity in Tsumi's room. "Lord Sesshomaru asked me to make the house comfortable," she boasted proudly, "since Master Jaken was busy with other things."

"Who is Jaken?" Tsumi asked, forsaking honorifics.

"He is Lord Sesshomaru's loyal retainer," stated Rin, "whatever that means. He is a toad."

Tsumi couldn't help it: a laugh forced its way up through her ribcage and she failed to fully stifle it with her arm. "A toad?" she questioned.

"Well sort of," said Rin thoughtfully. "A toad-demon...a kappa!" Without another word, she returned to her food.

_Another demon...oh, I'm beginning to wish I hadn't left my village_, thought Tsumi. When they both had finished, Rin showed Tsumi to the diminutive stream where they were to wash out their bowls. It was easy to forget that she was a captive in Rin's happy presence. Unfortunately, the illusion was shattered when Sesshomaru came around.

"I wonder if you're quite content?" he asked, mockingly. In answer, she averted her eyes, refusing to meet his frigid gaze. "I notice you're road-weary, and your kimono is..." he barely disguised his distaste, "in need of repair."

"What of it?" she snapped.

"I can offer you a bath," he suggested apathetically. Pointing to the stream – with a clawed finger, she noticed – he explained, "There is a spring not far into the hills behind us. Only follow the stream; it will lead the way. I can send Rin with fresh clothing, if you like. That," he gestured at her filthy, oversized garment, "will take some time to mend."

Ignoring the jab at her faded, threadbare kimono, Tsumi placed her hands on her hips, elbows forming sharp, foreboding angles. "Who is the girl, anyway?" she demanded. "Another of your _guests_, perhaps?"

For the first time, she saw a hint of emotion in Sesshomaru's stolid eyes: a blazing, deliberate anger. "She is my ward," he murmured defensively, "and I am her protector."

Chastened, Tsumi watched him leave and did not begin to ascend into the hills until he was out of sight. _That fool_, she thought, _does he think I will blindly obey him? I shall follow this stream and escape!_ Tsumi clambered up the hill behind the tiny house and followed the stream. It did not matter where it originated; she only needed to get a general direction. Then she could get away from that arrogant, vile – "Ouch!" Inside herself, Tsumi felt a smart pain, like a knick from sharp stone. She knew that feeling too well, though it had been many years since she'd last felt it. _This anger, _she thought, _this hatred...it will kill me_. As a child, Tsumi had learned to temper her emotions, for anger and all that it entailed destroyed her from the inside out. Such was the curse of purity.

Higher and higher she climbed, following the stream as it expanded into a rushing river, carving its way through soil and rock until she arrived at the peak of the hill, ground leveling out beneath her bare feet. Steam enshrouded the air here, and the smell of the spring was delightfully inviting...

_But that is not why I've come_, she thought. She pressed on further, intending to head into the hills, but was met with some invisible wall. It stung her as she walked right into it, falling on the ground, skin burning. "What on earth...?" Tsumi stood and reached out just a hand this time, which she pulled back as soon as it made painful contact with the barrier. _That bastard!_ she lost control. _He's trapped me here! I should've known! Damn him –_ _oh..._ A horrible tearing sensation ripped through her gut, wrenching tears from her eyes. She wanted to cry out but defied herself out of pride. She curled inward, kneeling on the ground, waiting for the sting to subside. _If I'm not careful, I will tear myself apart_.

Once the pain had finally receded, she glanced at the warm, enticing water. _Waste not, want not_, she thought, and slipped out of her kimono and into the spring. The pool was deep, coming up to her collarbone at its furthest depth. She floated for a time, staring at the dark sky. Stars twinkled back, feeble and far-off. She sighed. _How will I get out of this?_ she thought.

When there came a rustle in the brush, Tsumi turned onto her feet, crouching in the water. But of course, it was only Rin. "I come bearing a beautiful new kimono for you, Tsumi-san!" she said. "Have you enjoyed your bath?" Her warm spirit lessened the pain Tsumi felt, dissolving some of her hopelessness.

"Yes, thank you for bringing me clean clothes." She was truly thankful as she admired the neat pile of colorful fabric.

"Oh, don't thank Rin," she smiled, "thank Lord Sesshomaru! He is the one who got them in the first place."

"Hmmm." Tsumi would say nothing in front of the child. No matter how unseemly she found him, if Sesshomaru really was Rin's guardian, it would be wrong to slight him in front of her. And of course, Tsumi could not afford to do anything wrong. "Tell me something, Rin."

The girl gazed at her with large eyes, waiting.

"Is Sesshomaru really your guardian? Are you his ward?" There was no harm in checking.

"Oh yes," said Rin, apparently pleased. "And Sesshomaru-sama is a wonderful guardian to me," she praised. "He is kind and protective. He is wonderful," she repeated.

_It is like he is two different men_, thought Tsumi, bewildered. Eventually she emerged from the spring and began to wrap herself in the layers and layers of fabric. This one fit better, she noticed, more snug in the proper places. "I am sorry, Rin, but could you tie my obi?" she asked.

Rin looked hesitant, but nodded. She was not especially skilled with tying the massive knots, and was clumsy in execution. But the finished product was functional, and that was satisfactory for Tsumi. Rin stepped away to appreciate her work. "You look lovely, Tsumi-san," she proclaimed, in part because of her own involvement.

But it was true. The glorious, rich plum teased a certain elegance out of Tsumi, one that the dingy pink koi print had failed to extract; the pale, delicate orange Hiyoku brought the chocolaty hue out of her clean, loose hair which now framed her soft face; the creamy, upturned collar of her undergarment displayed only a slight contrast against her skin, setting her aglow in the night.

Rin yawned, undercutting the statement of the piece. Tsumi smiled and picked the child up. "Rin is tired," she mumbled.

"I'll take you back," she said, taking her battered old kimono – a singular, unfinished rag in comparison – and began the descent. By the time she'd reached the house, Rin was nearly asleep in her arms. Tsumi held her hand while she tottered down the hall to a room with two beds, both of them smaller than her own. Both were unoccupied, while only the one – Rin's, of course – was unkempt and messy, as a child's bed should be.

"Your obi," noted that cold, calculating voice. Tsumi spun on the spot and found herself face-to-face with the demon, Sesshomaru...or, she would have, were she several inches taller. "It's..." he searched himself for the appropriate observation.

"I tied it myself," Rin called meekly from her bed, which she had half fallen into. She was struggling to disentangle the sheets.

Sesshomaru came to her aid, practically tucking her in and telling her, in his listless way, "You did a good job." This pleased the girl to no end, and she fell asleep almost instantly.

_ Tsumi quietly dashed into her own room, utterly confused by what she had just seen._

* * *

><p>comments and critique are always welcome :)<em><br>_


	4. Four: A Page Unfolded

A Page Unfolded

Beneath her, the wind rolled like an ocean wave, soothing, familiar. Kagura had never been partial to familiarity until it had been grabbed out from under her. Naraku continued to avoid her questions and worse, to send her on feckless errands. It was infuriating. _Naraku dares to command the wind_, she thought resentfully, _and he shall pay_. The sorceress sniffed the air. _They aren't far, now_. Lightly, she fell from the sky and into a tree, catching her gargantuan feather as it shrank.

The five of them sat under the dappled shade; the young girl was distributing strange food to the demon-slayer and the monk, but when she offered some to the hanyou, he refused.

"Won't you eat, InuYasha? It's your favorite," she proffered the steaming cup towards him.

"I'm not hungry," he grumbled, fidgeting, eyes darting from one shadow to the next.

The girl, Kagome, sighed. "I wish you'd eat something. It's not like you to go without."

"What're you tryin' to say?" he demanded. It was the usual frivolous chatter. Kagura huffed from her place downwind; was _this_ what Naraku wanted to hear about? His enemies' idle disputes? "I'm going for a walk..._alone_," he punctuated. Kagura had enough time to drink in the rebuffed look on Kagome's face before deciding to follow.

_Mortals and their petty conflicts_, she shook her head. Ghosting through the treetops – slowly, elusively – she trailed behind him. In all their encounters, he had never looked quite so dejected or guilty. _So you failed to protect the girl. What now, InuYasha?_ But it occurred to Kagura that he might not know who was responsible. _It isn't regret, then, only his wounded pride_...

InuYasha's fists clenched and he growled deep in the back of his throat. Kagura froze, worried she might have been found out. But then, in a low, gritty whisper, he said, "Sesshomaru, I _will_ find you, and I _will_ rescue Tsumi, even if all it means is vengeance."

_He thinks Sesshomaru is the sole perpetrator!_ she thought. _Doesn't he see how foolish that is? Doesn't he see something's missing? Not that I'm one to talk..._

He turned around then and padded slowly back to his comrades, who were in the middle of some other discussion. This one, it turned out, was not so trivial. Kagura listened intently, hanging on every word.

"I don't understand," cried the fox kit, hands pulling at his hair in frustration. "What's the point in making a puppet out of Tsumi? We've run into those before and they're nothing difficult. _Anyone _could destroy her!"

It was the monk who answered him. Evenly, he explained, "As you know, Shippo, Tsumi is pure in the most basic sense –"

"Yeah. So what?" interrupted InuYasha, who had finally surrendered and accepted a piping cup of food. His manners were certainly lacking, Kagura noticed, disgusted by the ends of noodles poking out of his mouth.

The monk sighed, his patience thinning. "Don't you see? Tsumi _has_ no will of her own; it would be only too easy to completely control her." He glanced up into InuYasha's and Shippo's shocked eyes. "Without a will to bend, she would become just another extension of power itself."

_No free will of her own? _Kagura shuddered. There was certainly a small part of her that felt almost sorry for the girl.

"There are other benefits as well," continued Miroku. "Since Sesshomaru is a demon, if he makes an extension of himself out of Tsumi, she will be no easy opponent to defeat. His powers will become her own, and she will use them as he would – without discretion."

There was a clammy silence that collected in the little grove. The skin on the back of Kagura's neck prickled. "I can't imagine Tsumi like that," she was the first to breach the oppressive quiet, "like _him_."

"What the hell does Sesshomaru want with a puppet, anyway?" InuYasha snapped. "I know he's getting up there in age, but he ain't _that _old, yet." Noisily, he slurped a bunch of noodles.

"I think I know," Miroku said softly. "It is my belief that Sesshomaru intends to make Tsumi a _true_ extension of himself – a kind of replacement arm, if you will."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Sango, speaking for the whole group.

"My thinking is that by transforming Tsumi into a vessel of his will, Sesshomaru will try to steal Tetsusaiga and wield it through her."

Kagura had to stifle a chuckle – not that it was difficult, muffled by the unanimous gasp as she was. It was all finely thought out, and she had to give credit where credit was due, but still... _How entertaining,_ she thought.

"That's impossible!" InuYasha contended. "Tsumi's a human! The Tetsusaiga would be as useful to her as it is to Sesshomaru!"

"No," Sango said, eyes lighting up. "It's the perfect combination! Don't you see, InuYasha?" she gasped. "If Tsumi were to become an extension of your brother – a _part _of him – she would be infused with his youki, wouldn't she!"

"That's right, Sango," nodded the monk. "And thus, Tsumi would meet the requirements for being able to wield the Tetsusaiga." He sighed. "Nothing would be left of her but a shell, a slave to carry out Sesshomaru's bidding."

"So what can we do?" Kagome asked. "We have no clue where Sesshomaru has taken her and who knows how long it will take for him to make her his puppet!" The girl was so passionate in her concern that it nauseated Kagura, though the underlying cause of the indigestion was more likely all the talk about slavery, puppetry and losing one's own will.

"We just have to save her in time," Sango murmured, stroking the cat demon that was snuggled in her arms. "The odds are not on our side," she added somberly.

This seemed to inspire fear in the fox child. He stood at his full, diminutive height and screeched, "And what if we don't reach her in time? Or what if Sesshomaru defeats us? Is there no other way we can save her?"

There was another bout of uncomfortable silence; the sobering mood made Kagura squirm in her hiding spot. Of course, it was InuYasha who said what no one wanted to say.

"Yeah, there is." Everyone looked at him, varying degrees of confusion spattering their faces. "I'd have to kill her."

Having had enough, Kagura swept herself into the wind, removing a feather from her hair and heading back to the castle. There was no sense in lingering; she had what she wanted, and more besides. _So,_ she thought, _do you intend to make a puppet out of the pure girl, Naraku? And what will you do with her? The fools' little dissection makes almost more sense than any scheme you could dream up_. Bitterly, she tried to imagine a place and purpose for such a creation, but no answer came. Not from the sky, not from the birds, and not from the wind. _You may give her your power, but she is still human. What feats would you have her attempt? Surely nothing you cannot handle yourself – you have enough of us to do your dirty work, already._ Kagura felt like spitting, the taste of bile strong in her mouth. _Or perhaps you've decided merely to expand your collection. How diabolical_.

But resolved as she was, she spent the rest of the journey not planning her next interrogation, but rather, concocting a story spun from what she had just witnessed. After all, it would be a shame to disappoint Naraku.

InuYasha hardly gave a moment's pause when he felt the wind change direction. "I don't like how quiet things've been these last few days," he griped. "Usually, it's one monster after the next, but lately we haven't seen hide or hair of any demons around."

"It is strange," agreed Miroku, "but certainly nothing to fret about."

"Yeah, I'm really enjoying the peace and quiet," added Kagome, beginning to pack up her bag.

"Well I'm not." InuYasha crossed his arms, turning up his nose. "It's too peaceful. Something ain't right."

Sango stopped stroking Kirara. "I have to admit, I'm with InuYasha; I can't help but feel worried by the complete lack of opposition we've encountered."

"Well I for one am more than happy with not being chased, threatened, or injured by spirits, demons and creepy-crawlies with _more than ten legs_!" shouted Shippo, scampering into the basket of Kagome's pink bicycle. "Can't you two just appreciate our dumb luck?"

InuYasha hardly thought that was the end of the matter. _It's way too quiet_, he thought. _And it isn't dumb luck._ "I think it's a trap," he said. "I think Sesshomaru _wants_ to be found. I think he's got a hand in all this, somehow."

"Oh?" Miroku was wearing his face-of-superiority. "If he wants us to find him, why hasn't he left any clues behind, InuYasha?"

Lacking an answer to this very basic question, InuYasha could do nothing but scowl in irritation at Miroku's smug expression. "I don't know, but it's still fishy!"

"Miroku is right," Kagome said, lifting her bike from its resting place against a tree. "But something is missing. None of this makes much sense." She puzzled for a moment before adding, "Miroku, your theory could be right, but...how did Sesshomaru even know who Tsumi was? I mean, he doesn't exactly go out of his way to make contact with humans."

"Pfft," InuYasha spat, "he hardly goes out of his way to make contact with other demons. But yeah, that certainly pokes a hole in your logic, Miroku."

The monk was troubled by this obvious, glaring oversight in his theory; because the event of Tsumi's kidnapping was over and done with, he hadn't given its pretext much thought. But now..._so many more questions_, he thought. "People of that caliber of purity are pretty rare," he theorized, "perhaps he'd heard tell of her in his wide and lengthy travels?"

"What a crapshoot!" InuYasha countered. "Besides, _we'd_ never heard of her before. She's not exactly famous." _Making it all the stranger_, he thought privately. "Anyway, let's hurry up and save her so we can get back to hunting down Jewel shards; who _knows_ what kind of treachery Naraku's been up to while we play rescue mission."

_The shards..._ Kagome couldn't help but wonder, with a twinge of guilty paranoia, if they might yet have a part in this as well.

oOo

A searing pain split down Tsumi's right side, making her grit her teeth to force back a cry. This was the first time in her life she'd ever had so much trouble trying _not_ to think ill of someone. It wasn't that Sesshomaru had kidnapped her – though, that didn't help the cause, either – but rather, his callous, condescending indifference. Three escape attempts later, he had throughly humiliated her, but in the tone of a disappointed parent, as if she were some stupid brat incapable of learning from her mistakes. She couldn't help but wonder if he enjoyed these little games. _I'll not give him another chance_, she thought bitterly, and another pang struck her, this time on the left. She wondered if her ribcage might just collapse and end her misery.

Thankfully, Sesshomaru and his obnoxious little henchman, Jaken, had taken off that morning. Where they went on these escapades, Tsumi didn't know or care; it gave her some small relief. It was easier not to think badly of someone if their face wasn't constantly looming nearby. In a way she felt almost guilty about her deep dislike for the kappa, because it was rooted mostly in little things, things that ought not to matter. She found his voice grating and his opinions shallow and ill-conceived; the toad was unbelievably rude, with the exception of Sesshomaru – to whom he was an insufferable suck-up.

Another splitting sensation rippled through Tsumi's belly and she hunched down, clutching herself as if she could squeeze the pain away. _If only_, she thought desperately.

"Tsumi-san?" Rin's little voice chimed across the yard. "Are you alright?"

Tsumi could not answer right away, as it felt like her insides might all wither inside her. But eventually, she coaxed her mind into defeated silence and she could uncurl herself. "I'm fine," she told the girl, hating the sheen of cold sweat on her forehead.

Rin looked unconvinced. "Sesshomaru-sama will return soon. You should tell him you are ill."

Tsumi had to fight tooth and nail not to glare at the thought of him. "I'm not sick. Don't worry about it, Rin-chan," she assured to prevent the girl from tattling. If there was one thing the youkai didn't need to know, it was this weakness. Besides, she really didn't want Rin to worry; the little girl's cheerfulness was the only thing apart from sleep that helped her to escape.

Just then, a big shadow passed overhead. The two of them looked to the sky, and sure enough, Ah-Un was coming in for a landing. The beast lumbered onto the grass, Jaken falling clumsily off of him. Rin laughed, tumbling backward onto the ground, grasping her sides in mirth. Between the girl's glee and her own satisfaction at seeing the toad hit the ground, Tsumi smirked, only to be forced nearly to her hands and knees in pain.

_Damn it_, she swore, only worsening matters.

"Are you well?"

_Damn that voice!_ she cursed, both fearing and hoping she might kill herself with hatred. "Fine," she growled.

"Something seems to be troubling you," he said, coldly, mockingly.

Tsumi refused to look at his face; she didn't think she could handle whatever expression it might bear. The sheer anger coursing through her veins was threatening to overflow. "I said I'm fine." She was definitely on the verge of self-destruction. She focused her stare on the ground, trying to fight back salty, stinging tears.

"Hm." Sesshomaru turned on his booted heel, his mokomoko nearly slapping her in the face. "Don't die," he offered by way of parting, disappearing into the shadows of the house.

"Such impertinence!" muttered Jaken, a little too loudly.

Tsumi imagined glaring daggers at the creature, never minding how the delicious thought folded her in half on the ground.

"Lord Sesshomaru is right!" Rin cried, putting her small hands on Tsumi's trembling body. "You are troubled! You are sick! Come in the house, Tsumi-san, please? Please?" she begged.

Tsumi could no longer speak, shaken and reduced to a puddle of pain. She barely registered Rin's words, only able to shake her head in the slightest protest... Before long, she found herself being lifted into a pair of slender, surprisingly strong arms. The fabric that rubbed against her damp cheek was so, _so_ soft... _Damn you,_ she thought, _leave me alone!_ This of course only sent her reeling, and her lips finally gave way and betrayed her: a horrible shriek split the air, and shame colored her already flushed skin. And then, _flump_. She cringed as she landed on what must have been her bed – her eyes were too cloudy to really see. She tried to blink away the tears, but more followed, streaming unsightly rivers down her face. "Why did you bring me here?" she sobbed.

There came no answer. Only the quiet footfalls of her captor as he left her to weep herself into slumber.

As he glided down the hall and out from the confines of the house, Sesshomaru pondered what he had just seen. _What ails her so?_ he wondered. _If it kills her, this will all have been a waste, and I will lose what little I've gained_... He flexed his phantom limb, hating how insubstantial it still felt. He hated its lack of bones; he hated the teasing sensation of specter-tendons as they pulled on nonexistent muscles; he hated how the ephemeral skin felt beneath the tips of his fingers. _I want a real arm_, he thought. _And if she dies..._

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken came to his side. "Is there nothing you can do to quell the human's dreadful wailing?"

He considered the question. "I could kill her," he answered ambiguously, fondling Tokijin's pommel. "But that would defeat the purpose, wouldn't it."

"I might agree with you, my lord," said Jaken, "if only I knew what your purpose was."

Sesshomaru's brows furrowed. "My purpose is my own, Jaken. Do not presume to understand."

"My apologies, my lord," bowed the imp.

It was odd, how this phantom limb retained memory in its pseudo-skin. The feel of Tsumi's borrowed kimono still slid over it, silky and tantalizing. _At least she will not defile it with human stench_, he thought. It was curious how she had no odor, no aroma of her own. He cold smell the kimono, and he could smell spring water on her, as well as her breakfast on her breath..._ But she has no scent of her own_.

Another, louder cry echoed from inside the house. Sesshomaru did not flinch.

"Is there nothing you can do for her, Sesshomaru-sama?" Rin pleaded. It was funny how she'd become so attached to the girl – and even more so how this had worked in reverse.

"There is nothing I can do," he answered. It would have been painless, if not for the hurt he saw in Rin's eyes. _How long is this going to take?_ he asked himself. _When will Naraku rid me of this burden and finish what he began?_ Again, he clenched his fist, unable to find satisfactory pressure in the action.

* * *

><p>comments and critique are always appreciated :)<p> 


	5. Five: Draw

Draw

It was so tenuous a change that Kikyo almost dismissed it as a shift in the wind. But the sensation traveled up her spine, radiating outward through her body. _An aura_, she recognized, _an astoundingly _pure _aura_. She stilled under the grey sky, feeling out the sudden shift in her surroundings. It was so familiar; she frowned. _What does this mean?_ Curious, she changed her course and began pursuing the aura through the trees.

A soul collector dropped down, noiselessly depositing a soul into the ghostly priestess.

_To whom does this aura belong?_ she wondered. _Could it be some manner of trap? Or another unfortunate human, chained to a life of solitude..._ All around her, the mist parted; birds went silent and trees seemed to still in her wake. _If this _is _a human_, she prayed, _please let them escape a fate such as mine_. Another soul collector, another soul, another breath.

Overhead, a break in the clouds released a stream of sunshine, piercing through the bleak, overcast air. Behind her, birds returned to their songs and life animated the forest once more.

_Let them escape_, she prayed, following the aura still.

oOo

Through the mist, Kagura watched Kohaku. Continuously, he lashed out with his chained sickle, striking down his ceramic targets like a snake. He was himself, mostly, and it was hard to imagine that behind his freckled face there might lurk a killer. But Kagura knew too well the blank expression that would come over him should Naraku see fit to use this deceptive tool of his.

_But is Kohaku the precursor to something more sinister?_ wondered the wind sorceress. _He is just a boy, but he _is _strong, and I have to admit his prowess in battle. Though, it comes at a terrible price..._ She shuddered, hand clenching around her closed fan.

Once more the Kusarigama broke through a line of pots, but Kohaku did not replace them upon the wooden pedestals. His eyes met Kagura's, and his face was sad. It troubled her, so she looked away.

_What kind of puppet would_ you_ be, Tsumi?_ Kagura left the yard and the boy behind, padding through the castle aimlessly, ignoring the unseasonably chilly mist. _What are you capable of?How much of yourself would Naraku have to occupy in order to achieve this exchange?_ She shivered. Her thoughts turned back to the words of the monk; if it was true, if Tsumi _was_ in fact so pure, shouldn't that deter all but the strongest demons from possessing her? Wasn't _that _how the thinking went? _I do not understand_, she thought, frustrated. _Cannot this purity be used _against _Naraku just as easily? _If this was the essence of the girl's being, taking that away might well kill her, but who cared if it could buy some more time for Kagura. _For Kanna, _she thought, _and for Kohaku_. _Who knows what will become of us if Naraku succeeds_.

Deep beneath the castle, however, far under Kagura's anxious footsteps, Naraku was sitting, waiting, watching his latest creation grow. He nursed the grotesque potion in his cup, ignoring the scalding sensation in his throat as it spread to every reach of his body; he needed all the strength he could muster, to replenish the energy he had put into this masterpiece.

Amongst a disgusting tangle of demon parts, ripped from Naraku himself, there grew a limb, partially finished in the likeness of the phantom limb bestowed upon Sesshomaru. It would be the final installment – the payment made to Sesshomaru upon the completion of their little pact. Naraku would get the girl, and Lord Sesshomaru would at last receive an able, full-bodied limb – one fashioned from Naraku himself, so that he might be called upon whenever need be.

_It isn't a foul deal if one neglects to negotiate the details_, thought Naraku, smirking to himself. _And Sesshomaru was in such a hurry to get back to that miserable child_..._ah well_. He stretched, taking another gulp from his cup. _He will be angry with me, but by that time, he will already be under my control_.

It wasn't as if he had lied: born of his half-demon flesh, this arm _would_ wield the Tetsusaiga, and it would certainly be more tangible than the ghostly reminder Sesshomaru carried now. If Naraku was guilty of anything, it was merely omission.

The demon shifted uncomfortably. _How long will it take for InuYasha and his pack of miscreants to find Sesshomaru? Will they dawdle too long, forcing my hand? Or will they arrive too soon, stirring up trouble before the transaction is complete? _It was no use harping on the matter.

"Kagura!" he whispered, beckoning her to him. He met her in the hall, just before she could discover his whereabouts. "I want you to find InuYasha. Do not linger for their idle conversation; come back to me and tell me where you found them."

Kagura eyed him begrudgingly, but said nothing.

"_Go_. Now," he insisted.

She turned her back on him and whisked herself into the courtyard before taking up on the wind. As she hurtled through the cloudy sky, Kagura considered dropping in on the ragged band, to tell them what exactly Naraku was up to. After all, they were so convinced that Sesshomaru was to blame... _No_. She revised this plan, changing direction, hoping Naraku was too preoccupied to notice her defiance. _If they arrive at our doorstep, I will be implicated and Naraku will escape_.

oOo

Sesshomaru's silence burrowed underneath Kagura's skin; her fingers twitched, and her foot began to bounce upon the ground. Across from her, his face appeared unchanged, save for the small details she was incapable of discerning. "Well?" she prodded, restless.

Finally, he spoke, but his eyes stayed trained on his immaculate claws. "What business is it of mine, this fate you say awaits the girl?" He fought the urge to look over his shoulder at the house. "Whatever end she meets, it is none of my affair."

Incredulous, Kagura's fingers gripped handfuls of her kimono. "Perhaps not, but this Tsumi girl," she began to explain, "she is unlike myself or Kohaku. She will be competent of far worse: Kohaku and I may be subject to Naraku's string-pulling, but we still retain some will of our own."

"Are you suggesting this girl has no free will?" he chortled, blinking. _I wouldn't believe that for an instant_.

"She is too pure, Sesshomaru. Free will cannot exist in her." Kagura wished she had paid better attention to the explanation the monk had given; she needed everything she had to back her up. But what chance did she stand of convincing Sesshomaru to abandon his pact with Naraku when she had no idea what he'd been promised in return? "It would be beneficial to us both if you were to sabotage Naraku: I would have my freedom, you would be liberated from this extended watch duty, and the girl..." she waved toward the house, "not that it matters."

Sesshomaru sighed. _How pure is 'pure?'_ he wondered. _It is an intriguing notion; no free will_. "I am not interested in fighting schemes with yet more scheming. Take your offer and leave with it: I want no part in your underhanded plot." _I refuse to believe that Tsumi is incapable of free will. _

Kagura stood, angry. "Selfish wretch!" she screamed as she disappeared into the sky.

Ignoring the insult – and Jaken's resulting tirade – Sesshomaru mulled over what he had just learned. Tsumi was pure...pure enough to provide a puppet in what might be the most literal sense. She supposedly had no free will. _But then_, he thought, _how is it she is able to move about the world? Everyone has a will,_ he decided, _it is only a matter of embracing it_. And furthermore, what did will and purity have to do with one another? _So many questions..._

From her window, Tsumi had heard the whole thing: this Naraku person – the same one InuYasha spoke of – was out to make her his puppet, was he? _There is nothing I can do_, she thought. _I am trapped, doomed by my own self to serve as a tool for everything wrong_. She felt herself begin to choke on unwanted tears; inside her belly, anger and fear and sadness stewed and churned. The deepening intensity of her hatred for the youkai outside only heightened every pang, every ache, every hurt. Tsumi wondered if soon, her skin might simply give way to the blood that boiled beneath it. Would her bones break? Would her heart stop? With all her might, she tried to suppress the pain, along with all the hateful thoughts and feelings inciting it.

She was completely curled in on herself when Rin came to her. "What is the matter, Tsumi-san? Can Rin help?"

_How are you so sweet, young one, _thought Tsumi, _when your care-taker is so cruel?_ She reached for Rin's hand. "My flowers are dead. Would you like to help me pick some new ones?"

"Oh yes! Let us go! I found a beautiful patch of them behind the house!" Rin's enthusiasm helped ease the pain inside Tsumi's burdened heart. Her innocence swept over Tsumi like a gentle breeze, taking her out from her broken self.

The two girls spent the dull afternoon in the small meadow, picking flower after flower and gathering them in a colorful bunch. They laid in the grass, watching the ominous storm clouds converge on one another. And Tsumi wondered, _how is it I cannot hear your thoughts?_ Rin was human, so far as she could tell, and unless Tsumi was losing her touch...

"Tsumi?" Rin's voice shook slightly.

"Hmm?"

"Are..." she hesitated. "Are you afraid of thunder?" Rin asked meekly, ashamed.

Tsumi considered the question. "No," she decided, "but lightening on the other hand..." She said this solely for Rin's benefit, so that this child who had mended her wounds for so long might have a chance to be on the other end the endeavor for once. "Rin?"

"Yes, Tsumi-san?"

Tsumi was unsure of her jurisdiction, but she did not care. She was going to die, possibly soon. She deserved to know. "Do you know why Sesshomaru brought me here?"

Rin yawned. A big, fat rain drop splashed on her tiny nose. She sat up, holding Tsumi's flowers. "You are our guest," she answered, as if it were obvious. "Lord Sesshomaru watches over you for another," she said.

Once more, furious heat was stoked inside of her, mounting on more discomfort. This time, she did not try to stop it. _If I am fortunate, it will kill me_, she thought. _I'd rather die at my own hand than lose my soul to a wretched demon such as Sesshomaru, or Naraku_. Following Rin inside, she said nothing.

In her room, Tsumi placed the new bouquet in the old vase. She sat at her bed then, and wept; her loud sobs were muffled by the pounding of the rain on the roof. _InuYasha..._ she remembered. _You were right. You were right all along. How I miss you and Kagome, and Sango and Shippo...and even Miroku! I wonder where you are?_ Another heave of sobs wracked her. _I pray you are well_.

oOo

"_Damn it_!" InuYasha slid back on his heels; the ground shook beneath him with the weight of his wind scar. The smoke hadn't cleared, but he didn't need to see to know he had won. Nonetheless, his injuries were extensive, and he was losing blood – fast.

"InuYasha!" Kagome's voice found him through the dust and debris. "InuYasha, are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" he hollered. Cold rain drenched him from head to toe, washing the blood out of his clothes, stinging his many cuts and scrapes. The corpse of the slain demon lay motionless on the ground before him, and out of habit, he reached to take a shard of the Shikon Jewel before remembering that there was none. _This demon attacked us of its own accord_, he thought.

"So much for going unopposed," said Miroku, coming to InuYasha's side. "You're badly wounded; we should go and –"

"Wait." The low, baleful buzzing was deep in the forest ahead – it was a sound that only ears as sensitive as InuYasha's would hear. "_Saimyosho_," he growled, "and they're headed this way." He tightened his grip on Tetsusaiga. _So, Naraku _does _have something to do with this_. Without another word, he set off in the direction of the poisonous bugs. He was glad when no one followed him.

Upon finding the sordid things, he expected a fight – and not a very good one, at that. But instead, the cluster of insects stalled, almost as if observing him before turning around and retreating. "Hey!" yelled the hanyou, as if it would make a difference. Intent on slaying them before they could report back to Naraku, he stayed close behind. But every time he got close enough to kill them, the pests increased their stamina and stayed always just one pace ahead of him. So, InuYasha followed. _It's like they're leading me to something_, he thought. _Is Naraku nearby? Couldn't be – that coward never fights his own battles!_

The Saimyosho did not lead InuYasha to Naraku. They _did_ lead him to someone else, however: in the branches of a tree, his posture rigid and his face placid, there stood Kohaku. When the child's eyes dropped onto InuYasha, he only blinked.

InuYasha froze. _What should I do?_ _I can't kill the kid_, he thought, _but if he attacks, I'll have no choice_. He hoped to high heaven that Kohaku wouldn't strike, because loyal to Sango as he was, the half-demon had no intention of being made an easy target. "Kohaku?" he whispered.

This seemed to prompt him into speech. The child looked down from his perch, and though his face was expressionless, his eyes did not tell of possession: he was free – or, as free as he could be, in his condition. "She is..." he faltered, and his stance weakened. Did Naraku know his whereabouts? "She is like me," he murmured. "She shares...the same..." he stopped altogether now, and his face bore pain all across it.

"Are you talking about Sango?" InuYasha tried. "Do you remember your sister, Sango?"

But Kohaku did not respond. He looked suddenly frail. He reached for something, and InuYasha positioned the Tetsusaiga in preparation to defend himself, but then there was a large blast of smoke and a sound like thunder, and Kohaku was gone.

_What was that all about?_ wondered InuYasha. He followed Kagome's scent to a shallow cave not far from where they'd done battle with that serpent demon. A little fire flickered in the corner.

"InuYasha! You're alright!" Kagome stood to greet him.

"Yeah, and how about yourself?" Despite himself, he defied the urge to wrap her in his arms.

"Fine, all of us."

"You shouldn't have taken off like that, InuYasha," chided Miroku. "It was most unwise."

"Oh yeah?" The hanyou sat by the fire, beginning to wring himself out. "Is that why you didn't come with me? Or were you _scared_?" he taunted. If he could avoid telling them...

"Not at all! I was merely suggesting –"

"InuYasha," Sango interjected, "why did you go into the forest? What did you see?" Her face was mostly curious, and maybe it was only paranoia, but InuYasha thought it looked like she knew something.

He sighed. _Better tell her now_. "Sango," he began, "I followed a bunch of Naraku's poisonous insects, and they led me..." he looked away. He couldn't face her. "They led me straight to Kohaku."

"What?" The color drained from Sango's face and she crumpled against the craggy stone wall. "D-did he attack you?" The worst was written inside her eyes.

"No," he said firmly. "No, he didn't attack at all. He just...stood there, mumbling." He did not want to tell her all the details; in this case, a bit of lying felt justified. "I couldn't even hear him over the rain." The next part was truth, though. "I don't know where he came from or what he wanted. He just...disappeared."

Sango nodded. "Okay."

_Poor Sango_, thought Kagome. She felt so terrible about the muddy situation Kohaku's possession put all of them in. _It's good that she didn't go with InuYasha, then_. After he had left, Kirara had started acting up, preventing Sango from pursuing. It had been an odd sight, to say the least. Now, Kagome thought she understood why. _Kirara knew that InuYasha would find Kohaku...she was trying to spare Sango..._

While the others slept, InuYasha turned Kohaku's words over and over in his mind, the perpetual fall of raindrops on the hard ground thudding in his ears. _Did he mean Sango? Is he really starting to remember?_ This was both incredibly good and insurmountably bad: if Kohaku regained his memory, and if it came to Naraku's attention, it would mean the poor kid's death. And yet...and _yet_. _Somehow, I don't think he was talking about Sango_.

In the morning, InuYasha ran his theory by Kagome. "I didn't sleep a wink last night," he told her. "I was too busy thinking about my encounter with Kohaku." He did his best to keep his voice hushed and indicated that Kagome should do the same. "I...I lied to Sango last night," he confessed.

"InuYasha!" she hissed, "what about?"

He hesitated. Was this really a smart idea? _You can trust her_, he thought. "I _did_ hear what he said. He said something about... 'she's the same as me.'" He paused while Kagome muffled her gasp. His eyes flickered to Sango, but her gaze was trained dead ahead. _Is she listening in?_ he wondered. "At first I thought he meant Sango –"

"You don't think he's remembered, do you?"

"Quit interruptin'! And no, I don't." He dithered, feeling foolish. What proof did he have? There was nothing to evidence his theory. "Kagome, we _have_ to save Tsumi," he intoned, "or else she'll suffer the exact same fate as Kohaku."

Kagome's face reddened with anger. "It's so cruel of Sesshomaru to do this to someone!" she exploded – quietly enough under the cover of the drizzle. "He's just like Naraku!" One of her hands curled into a fist. _Why would Sesshomaru do this? It isn't as if he needs the strength! _

"Hm." InuYasha ran his clawed fingers through his hair uncomfortably. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Seeing the look on his face, Kagome backtracked. "That's not what I meant! Not at all! Look, I'm only saying that it's unbelievably cruel of Sesshomaru to do what he's doing. It doesn't reflect on you at all, InuYasha. You could _never _be like that." Her hand wrapped around his forearm, lingering a little too long.

_Yes, I could_, he thought remorsefully, thinking of his youkai blood, the way it overtook him, the urges it instilled in him. In a twisted sort of way, he thought he understood what could drive Sesshomaru. He shuddered, and Kagome withdrew her touch; it was missed. _Bam_. InuYasha walked straight into Miroku's back. "Hey! What gives?"

Miroku had stopped dead in the middle of the path. "Can anyone else feel that?" he asked. "That aura!"

"Yes!" Kagome started. "Oh, it's...it's so..."

"_Pure_!" the two of them exclaimed in unison.

"You don't think it's Tsumi, do you?" Sango asked. Her eyes looked much brighter than they had the night previous. The possibility of finding their lost friend had renewed a sense of hope in her.

"Maybe," said Kagome. "It's...it's almost like a jewel shard, but not quite. I'm not sure."

"Well, there's only one way to find out. C'mon." InuYasha turned, pushing Miroku forward. "Lead the way, Miroku." He lagged behind a little, letting the rain soak through his hair and clothes, cooling him off.

oOo

With little else to do, Tsumi sat before the ancient vanity and its cracked, spotted mirror. She explored the singular drawer, finding an old pot of rouge. With it, she experimented: it took some water and some patience, but eventually, she found a mixture that applied nicely on her lips. It felt heavy and foreign, but it looked nice. Using an old charcoal, she lined her eyes the way she'd seen her mother do a thousand and one times. The finished product wasn't quite up to the same standard, but it was pretty, she decided. Tsumi took up the wooden comb and layer by layer, she untangled every strand of hair...and even then, she kept at it, if only for something to do.

Seeing herself in the mirror – this other self, with flowing, dark hair and lined eyes; with red lips and fine clothes – it choked her up inside with sadness. The pain this caused was duller, more of an ache. She longed for what might have been, seeing it in front of her face. _Nineteen_, she thought. _Most of my friends were married long before that. They have small children, now...and what do I have?_ She knew that even if she were not trapped, even if not by Sesshomaru's hand, she would still face a grim fate. _I can never marry. I can never bear children_, she lamented. Tears did not come, though. She wondered if she'd used all of hers up. Instead, she continued to gaze at her reflection, just combing...

"You certainly are a vain creature, aren't you."

Tsumi had seen him in the mirror, but did not acknowledge him. The anger flared up again, transcending her sadness. She fingered the soft petals of her bouquet in order to remain calm; self-restraint was key. Despite herself, she still clung to life.

"A useless effort, though," he jabbed.

"I'm not vain," she insisted through gritted teeth. "I'm bored," she lied, unwilling to admit that she was sad and scared. She nodded her head toward the window, hoping the downpour of rain might illustrate her point. She noticed that Sesshomaru wasn't sopping wet. _So even _you _prefer comfort_, she thought. Night after night, she had seen him sleep out of doors.

"Vanity is not a poor quality to have," he offered dryly, "but it is a quality that must be earned."

"Did you come to insult me?" she demanded coolly.

"No." He cocked his head slightly. "If you are bored, perhaps a game would alleviate you. A game of Chinou, perhaps?"

"Rin is napping," Tsumi answered automatically.

"Not against Rin," he explained, "against me."

Tsumi's arched eyebrows nearly shot up to her hairline. _Is he serious?_ "You must be very bored indeed, Sesshomaru." She stood, accepting his offer. "Very well, I will play against you." _This should be interesting_, she thought.

As they walked astride each other – a foot apart – Sesshomaru noticed a black sash tied into the front of Tsumi's obi. "Whom do you mourn?" he indicated it.

Surprised at being asked, she faltered before answering. "What could have been."

"That is a worthless cause," he pointed out. "You cannot change what has already happened."

"I know that," she said. "But it helps." This got no answer. They sat at the low table in the kitchen, where twelve stone cups had already been set up, and on either side of the display lay a pile of stones – nine a piece. "I am surprised you play," she said stiffly, taking her seat across from him.

"Don't be," he said. "Chinou is an old strategies game – invented by demons, you know."

"No kidding." She set up her side of the board, placing one stone in each of her cups, setting the three remaining off to the side. She watched carefully as Sesshomaru did the same. _He thinks he will win because he is a demon_, she thought snidely. _Well, good luck to him, then_.

"Ladies first," he tipped his head.

Tsumi considered her approach. The object of the game was to clear the board, and to take all your opponent's pieces. Of course, she had never played with an eighteen-piece set before, and it posed a fresh challenge. _If Sesshomaru wants to think me a simpleton_, she thought, _I shall let him_. She picked up the stone in the left-most cup and plunked it one over, into the next. To punctuate her move, she cast him an innocent glance.

Without even a second to pause for thought, he took the stone closest to his reserve, and passed them all over to her side of the board, giving himself access to four out her six cups. His face was as impassive as ever, except for his eyes. Deep behind his stoic mask, Tsumi could detect a gleam of smugness.

_He is a risk taker. That's fine. _Sticking to her original plan, she took up the three stones from the second left-most cup – her two blue ones and his red one – and moved them over. She wondered if he knew just what he'd done.

"A good strategy," he said, "but is it good enough?" He plucked up the stones from her end of the board, and was able to not only recover one of his own, but take away one of Tsumi's as well. "We shall see."

"Agreed." She took up the stones from the third left-most cup now, moving them over, and gaining one of Sesshomaru's stones in her reserve where it couldn't be touched. As she watched him make his next move, she asked, "Who taught you to play?"

"Is it relevant?"

"No. But I prefer conversation. It helps me to concentrate."

Sesshomaru was no fool; he knew this was just another part of the game, and that as such, he was obliged to indulge her. He'd heard that mortal women had a reputation for sneakiness, but it came as a surprise to him all the same. "My mother," he answered. "How about you?"

"My father," she said, taking two of his stones, but leaving behind three of her own on his side of the board.

"How delightful," he said, expressionless. "My father is dead," he offered, in hopes of using her human emotions against her. It was a clever ploy, he thought.

"Oh," she said offhandedly, watching belligerently as she lost another stone. "Mine too." Enacting revenge, she took back two of her own pieces along with two of his. _That was a dirty trick he pulled_, she thought, _trying to make me feel bad for him. _Of course, if she had been honest with herself, she would have admitted that curiosity, more than sympathy drove her to pursue conversation. But if she'd been that honest, it would have caused her pain. _Two can play at this game_, she decided. "He died protecting me."

"Hm." Sesshomaru was paralyzed: it did not matter which route he took. He found himself stalemated. "Mine died protecting somebody else." He made his move anyway, clearing the board.

Realizing what had happened, Tsumi chuckled darkly. "It would seem we are evenly matched, Sesshomaru," she observed, gesturing to their even piles of stones, red and blue amassed together on either side of the board.

"Hardly," he scoffed. "It is only that neither of us can win." Sifting through his pile and retrieving the red stones, he placed them back in their cups. "Would you like to play again?"

* * *

><p><strong>Note: <strong>Thanks to those who have reviewed and added my story to your favorites! I appreciate it, and I hope to keep hearing from you :)


	6. Six: The Permanency of Ink

The Permanency of Ink

From the bicycle basket, Shippo propelled himself forward and sniffed the air pointedly. "Wow! Tsumi's smell has grown really strong around here!" The kitsune fell back into the basket. "Do you think we're getting closer?"

"Definitely," InuYasha said, a sour expression crossing his face. "Sesshomaru's stench is pretty thick around here as well." Despite the clearing of the weather, the hanyou had clung to this grey disposition for the last day or so. _What are you really after, Sesshomaru?_ he wondered. Above him, birds twittered and the tree leaves rustled easily in the summer breeze. Still, his fuzzy ears were flattened against his head. "Hey, you all do still remember how much Sesshomaru _hates_ humans, right? I seriously doubt he's willing to sacrifice his pride just to have Tetsusaiga."

A ways ahead of him, Miroku sighed; they'd been arguing the point for days. InuYasha refused to accept that Tetsusaiga was what his brother was after, against all obvious evidence.

"He did use a human arm though, once," Kagome pointed out. She pedaled smoothly along, even over the lumps and bumps in the dirt path. "What's to say this is any different? Your brother may be prejudiced, InuYasha, but he's still practical."

"Maybe," he grumbled, "but it's not as if his little plan will work anyway." InuYasha's strides became more agitated with every leap.

"And what ridiculous theory have you formulated this time?" Miroku asked, leaning wearily against Sango's back; she tensed, preparing herself for any unwanted attention.

Smugly, InuYasha explained, "The minute Tsumi picks up Tetsusaiga, the sword's gonna' sense her intentions. It won't work for her!" It was such a simple thing, he wondered why he hadn't thought of it earlier – and it was this very simplicity that had convinced InuYasha that Tetsusaiga wasn't the end toward which Sesshomaru worked.

Miroku pondered this for a few minutes – all the while trying to beguile Sango's stubborn attempts at avoiding his touch. Finally, he said, "No, you're still wrong. InuYasha, you confuse Tsumi's intentions with Sesshomaru's; if he can prevent his malicious sentiments from seeping through Tsumi's consciousness, she should still be capable of wielding Tetsusaiga."

"But _you're_ the one who said she'll be an 'empty shell' once Sesshomaru gets his hands on her!" contended the hanyou.

Sick of the ongoing argument, Sango shouted, "Stop taking things so literally!" Privately, her thoughts turned to Kohaku. _You are not empty, little brother_. "A person's true nature can still live inside of them, even if their will is broken."

"It ain't the same," InuYasha mumbled, knowing what Sango was thinking. He paused then, sniffing in all different directions. "Damn! I lost her!"

"No," Miroku said. "I can still feel her aura."

"Me too," added Kagome. "We'll lead the way." And so she pulled ahead beside Kirara.

Undaunted, InuYasha mulled over and over the key points that had already been argued. He knew in his gut that while they might be headed in the right direction, they were wrong about what lay ahead. _And that's no way to go into battle_, he thought. He tried – against his better nature – to think like Sesshomaru; of course, no matter what angle he approached from, he was met with another argument that had already been explained away. _Damn it! What would a demon like Sesshomaru want with Tsumi? Wait...demon..._ he thought. "Hey!" Unrelenting, he persisted. "There's another flaw in your theory, Miroku!"

The monk sulked at the almost gleeful tone in InuYasha's voice, steeling himself for the next barrage of foolish logic.

"When Tsumi was with us, she couldn't hear Shippo's thoughts! She guessed it was 'cause he's a full demon. So if she can't be influenced by demonic thoughts," he theorized, "then tell me how Sesshomaru's gonna' take hold of her!" He bounded along, triumphant.

It was Sango, this time, who shot him down. "InuYasha," she said in a warning tone, "a person's thoughts and will are two entirely separate things. Just because she can't perceive Sesshomaru's thoughts doesn't mean he can't infiltrate her with his will." She thought a moment before adding, "If he succeeds, she'll probably still be conscious throughout the entire ordeal."

This incited a great deal of heated anger inside the hanyou. _That bastard! _he thought,_ He really doesn't care what kind of pain he inflicts on anyone_.

"More to the point," Miroku chimed in, "if he forces his will onto Tsumi, it may foster a kind of false sense of loyalty in her." This statement only worsened InuYasha's rage, and it showed all over his face.

"You sure are adamant about proving everybody wrong, InuYasha," Shippo ventured from the basket once more. "What gives?" The fox kit's sly tone didn't escape InuYasha's ears – or Miroku's, for that matter.

"I just ain't convinced that Sesshomaru is really after my Tetsusaiga," he said defensively.

"Then what do you think he _is_ after?" Kagome inquired.

"I...I don't really know," he admitted. He hadn't exactly gotten that far yet, only far enough to know that Tetsusaiga wasn't part of the equation.

From behind Sango, Miroku said, "I doubt it's romantic. Even a maiden as pure and beautiful as Tsumi wouldn't be able to relieve one such as Sesshomaru of his prejudices – though, it certainly wouldn't be a stretch for her to soften him up a bit, at the very least – _ouch_! Sango!"

"Hmph."

"What was that for? I didn't even grab you!"

Kagome rolled her eyes while InuYasha chuckled. "_Please_," he laughed, "even if that theory _wasn't_ completely full of crap, there's no way Sesshomaru would resort to abduction."

"No?" Sango asked.

"Nah, he's way too nobler-than-thou to kidnap a potential mate."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," growled Kagome.

Ignoring her, InuYasha went on. "If Sesshomaru ever did pursue somebody, he'd do it the ol' fashioned way," he stated, trying not to laugh at the absurd idea. "He'd court her."

oOo

"Another game – perhaps against me, this time?" Sesshomaru offered casually. He was silhouetted neatly in the front archway by dazzling sunlight. He had come in only just as Rin had triumphantly wiped Tsumi's remaining pieces from the board and into her pile of stones.

"I'm tired," Tsumi stated, as impassive as her host. "Perhaps another time." _I daren't slight him in front of Rin_. Her stomach churned at the thought.

"I insist," he replied, testing her resolve. "The weather has cleared up nicely," he mentioned, "we could play out of doors." He smirked, then. "I would love a chance to rectify our unbroken tie." This was true, as it deeply grated on him that a human had kept him stalemated for all of six games.

Beside Tsumi, Rin was already piling stones into cups to be carried outside. "Oh please, Tsumi-san! Play against Lord Sesshomaru! I want to watch," she pleaded. Her eyes were round and she was eagerly stacking the cups one on top of the other.

Sesshomaru was one thing, but denying Rin? An impossible task, as usual. Tsumi sighed wearily. "Very well." With some grace – due mostly to the restrictiveness of her kimono – she stood, following Sesshomaru into the yard with little Rin behind her, a tall stack of stone cups tottering in her arms. All together – for Jaken had joined them, too – they sprawled along the base of a tree, Sesshomaru taking refuge in the shade while Tsumi embraced the light. Producing a ribbon from an inner fold of her kimono, she tied up her hair, exposing her neck to the warmth and sunshine. A strand or two of wispy strays fell alongside her soft face.

Between them, straddling the line where sun met shade, Rin swiftly set up the cups and stones before settling back on her legs to watch.

Wordlessly, Sesshomaru gestured toward Tsumi, indicating that he was surrendering the first move.

"How kind of you," she said icily. An ember of pain smoldered in her throat, but she did not regret her rudeness. She plucked up a stone and dropped it in a cup, only to pick them both up and move them into her reserve.

_It's a defensive maneuver_, thought Sesshomaru. _She is...unpredictable_, he acknowledged begrudgingly; over the course of their other games, Tsumi had never started a game the same way, and it was delightfully frustrating. _But it was foolish of her to consign another turn_. Using the extra turn she'd blessed him with, he placed four of his own polished, garnet stones into cups on her side of the board.

Beside them, Rin let out an audible gasp, while Jaken chortled in his froggy throat.

Tsumi, however, was unfazed. She took up a single stone, depositing it into a neighboring cup and glancing toward Sesshomaru, acknowledging the end of her turn.

It bothered him that she never looked _at_ him, only through him. What bothered him more than that was that it bothered him at all. _She is still on the defensive? But why?_ he wondered, skillfully returning his own pieces – as well as a few of hers – to his side of the board. As he watched her craft her next move, he said, "Do you not require conversation?"

Being caught in a lie did nothing to shake her focus. "Not today," was her curt reply.

Sesshomaru did not appreciate her shortness with him. Not for the first time, he resisted the urge to put her in her place. "It's just as well." He parried her last move with dull ease, and then it dawned upon him: _She is trying to let me win_. He remembered how in the last game he'd witnessed between her and Rin, she had done something similar, throwing the game in the little girl's favor. Well, his pride would have none of that, thank you. _A mortal is not going to _let _me win_.

Gradually, he retracted his stratagem into an equally defensive nature, pulling back as many pieces as he could manage with each move. Before long, it looked like the game might end in yet another infuriating impasse. But then, quite out of the blue – and mostly to Jaken's horror – Tsumi went on the offensive, madly dashing about Sesshomaru's side of the board with precision. She skipped turns by twos and threes, capturing several of his pieces for herself. And then, the game was over: Tsumi emerged victorious.

The three of them sat, awaiting Sesshomaru's inevitable request for a rematch, but it never came. Refusing to incline his head in proper acknowledgment, he still murmured, "You win, this time." But the words were empty, devoid of the resentment or disbelief Tsumi had expected; on the contrary, the tiniest pinprick of amusement tugged at the corners of his level mouth. The indifference with which he expressed defeat sat uneasily with her. Nonetheless, she helped Rin clear the board and bring everything back inside.

Once the girls were out of earshot, Jaken exploded. "My lord!" he squawked, "towards the end of your match, you missed a perfect opportunity to regain the upper hand! How did you not see it?" The imp was waving the Staff of Two Heads indiscriminately and Sesshomaru wondered if he might take out his own eye with it.

"I did not miss it," he said, sinking a little into the comfort of the tree trunk, allowing one leg to stretch into the sunshine.

The kappa gasped in disbelief. "You _let_ that impudent girl win? But, my lord, _why_?"

Sesshomaru closed his eyes and retreated into himself, never providing an answer.

Later, however, while soaking in the hot spring, he turned Jaken's question over and over in his mind. _Why did I let her win?_ He supposed it could be said that he was sick of their deadlock, for one thing; for another, he had been furious that she had intended to throw the game. _In no way does the loss damage my pride_, he convinced himself, _since it was designed_.

_You could have won_, hissed a scathing voice in his head. _Or couldn't you dominate that weak human?_

Angrily, Sesshomaru turned around, resting his sharp chin in the crook of his folded arms, hiding from himself. _Certainly I could_, he thought. _It would only be too easy_... And in a moment of weakness, a horrendous image flashed before his eyes, of Tsumi, writhing helplessly beneath him, pleading...for him to stop? Or to continue?

_ Gah!_ He shook his mane of snowy hair, water flying off the tips and into his face. He sank deeper into the steaming pool, closing his eyes and counting his breaths in an effort to regain composure. He was revolted by his own lack of revulsion for the girl. She was so weak! So fragile! So _mortal_! _But she has no filthy, human stench to repel me_, he thought. _I never thought I'd miss the disgusting reminder_. The only human whose smell he'd ever deemed 'tolerable' was Rin, and that was after spending a lengthy stretch of time in the girl's presence. Of course, there were other things, too. As Sesshomaru cupped his hands in the water, raising them over his head, he ruminated on Tsumi's other qualities of note, searching himself desperately for justification. _She is somewhat quicker than most humans_, he thought. _Not at all brighter, perhaps, but quicker. And insurmountably less reactive_. It was difficult not to believe what Kagura had said about the girl when faced with her cool remarks and placid, controlled expressions, but he had already developed a theory to explain it. Now, it was merely a matter of proof, which he fully intended to have.

When at last his body had been mollified, Sesshomaru allowed himself to get out of the water. From the time he dressed and all the way back through the hills, he berated himself over what was far from his first carnal discrepancy. In yet another attempt toward justification, he ruminated – for just a moment – on Tsumi's physical charms, if they could be considered as much. She was taller than he was used to, standing level with his chin; it was from this height that she often burned him with her incessant, reticent glare, hardly becoming of her pale, rounded face.

For just a moment, he lost himself, thoughts flitting to the creamy skin beneath her collar before he scolded himself into discipline. _I suppose I am beginning to understand Father's taste for mortal women_, he thought stiffly. _Perhaps it is hereditary?_ he tried to console himself. He scoffed then, thinking of InuYasha and the under-dressed, outspoken miko who always tagged alongside him. Vaguely, he imagined his hanyou half-brother taking an interest in Tsumi, and was unnerved by a sudden bout of burning nausea that began to rile in the pit of his stomach. _What is this?_ he wondered at his racing heart, his churning belly. He recovered himself, though, recalling his station in the world, reminding himself of his value when placed beside Tsumi.

Meanwhile, Tsumi sat before an unfinished dinner and groaned quietly; her stomach was in an uproar, furious as she remained with Sesshomaru. Her anger boiled and bubbled, threatening to send her into a fit of pain. Exhausted with fighting herself, she excused herself from the table, making her apologies to a confused and worried Rin before retiring early to bed, where she hoped sleep would take her. _At least in sleep, there can be escape_, she thought. But as she readied for sleep, there was no escape. With every layer of fine silk that Tsumi peeled away – with every sash undone and every article folded neatly – she found herself hating how all these things that touched her had touched _him_. And only making matters worse was how deeply she admired the garments.

Agitated and exhausted, Tsumi crawled into bed, covering herself in spite of the heat. _And if these sheets are not the softest things I've ever slept on_, she thought. Of course, the plentiful mattress and feather-fluffed pillows were divine, as well – better than anything she'd ever slept upon back home. But then another vine of pain crept through her insides, taking hold in every nook it could, feeding off of her hatred for sleeping, a prisoner, in this exquisite bed. _I hate feeling grateful to him_, she thought, baring her teeth and repressing a yell.

Unable to sleep, she tossed and turned through the night, recounting every way in which she loathed Sesshomaru: she hated his graceful subtleties; she hated his regal gait; she hated his extravagant finery. She hated his stoic face and his angled jaw; she hated his callous demeanor, his carefully calculated speech; she hated his hard, frigid amber eyes and the stiff set of what might otherwise be an appealingly soft mouth...

"_Agh_!" Tsumi curled inward in some muddy combination of agony and disgust. This was the worst pain she had ever felt: it singed her insides and cut mercilessly through each and every vein. Her skin prickled with angry heat and something deep inside contracted, shooting tendrils of bitter, excruciating pain throughout her body, making her dizzy.

_How?_ she pleaded with herself. _How could you think that about him?_ But the vehemence of her pain outstripped her energy, and breathless, she eventually folded into sleep, clutching herself tightly round the middle.

Outside, under a waxing moon, Jaken leaned against Ah-Un and wondered when they would finally be rid of the girl.

* * *

><p>Of course, comments and critique are welcome.<p> 


	7. Seven: Cardinal Blots

Cardinal Blots

There was a whole chunk of flesh gone missing. _Missing_. Sans blood, it wasn't dissimilar to a commonplace injury; it was even beginning to 'heal,' the remaining bone and sinew slowly regenerating itself before Naraku's eyes. But that shouldn't have happened in the first place, he knew, and he was growing impatient with these recent mishaps. If the arm was not finished in time, he knew Sesshomaru might forfeit the girl in favor of _checking in_ on him, if only to be sure he hadn't reneged on their bargain. Which was, of course, the last thing anyone needed. Making matters worse, Kagura had reported that InuYasha's merry band of misfits was closing in on Sesshomaru's location – whether they knew it or not was yet to be seen.

Upstairs, Naraku allowed Kanna an audience, waiting on her mirror to tell him something relevant. The glassy surface was misty for a moment before revealing what looked to be dense forest under the cover of night. The forest was empty, save for scurrying vermin and stray, nocturnal birds. But then...

_What's this?_ Naraku wondered at the unexpected presence of that damned miko, Kikyo. She wandered through the vision with purpose, her footsteps firm, her face set in determination. A pang of cruel longing struck him in the chest and throbbed outward into every corner of his body. This was contested by an even stronger pang of hatred, however. _Kikyo shouldn't get involved with this_, both sides agreed, and so Naraku summoned Kagura. "Mislead the priestess," he told her, "we don't need anyone getting in our way."

Once her back was turned, Kagura scoffed. _'Our' way?_ she thought venomously. _There is no 'our.' And doesn't he realize that InuYasha will soon be in his way?_ Along her way to the courtyard, Kagura came across Kohaku, and stopped him. "Did you deliver the warning?" she whispered.

The boy flushed with shame, slowly shaking his head. "I tried –" his lips quivered.

"Hm." Kagura straighted up. "It's fine. I'll do it myself." This was the last straw, and though she couldn't find it in herself to be cross with Kohaku, she was something just shy of irritated; he was a more reliable bet, in her opinion, because he held some standing with his older sister. Some trust would have been helpful.

_But will they believe me?_ she wondered as she flew through the night sky. Stars blinked in and out of sight; clouds parted and the growing moon cast its ethereal light on the world, turning it into a nightmare world, a landscape of blossoming bruise hues. Warm wind whipped through Kagura's bangs while she pondered how best to approach her enemies, while at the same time she scoured the woods below for the dead priestess. And not a moment too soon, she figured it out. She would send yet another messenger – perhaps not as trustworthy as Kohaku, but certainly just as effective.

Without ceremony, Kagura dropped from the sky but a yard or two away from Kikyo, who did not seem surprised. Slowly, she turned, drew an arrow and knocked it. It held steady, the bow creaking from the strain of anticipation.

"What a warm reception," Kagura noted casually, flipping open her fan. "But don't worry; I'm not here to kill you."

"What does Naraku want of me, now?" Kikyo asked. There was no fear, no shiver in her voice. Only loathing.

"I came of my own free will," lied Kagura, but for all intents and purposes, it might as well have been true. "I came to tell you something, Kikyo." She stepped a few paces closer, but stopped when the arrow failed to be returned to its quiver. "You're hunting the source of this _ridiculously_ pure aura, are you not? It belongs to a girl – a girl whom Naraku intends to use as his puppet."

This time, Kikyo released her bow, the sacred arrow falling onto the dirt. Her brown eyes widened with horror and shock before she recovered herself. "Then that means..." she whispered to herself, trailing off into private thought.

"Yes. A formidable opponent for us all. Needless to say, I'm less than thrilled," she said as if she were remarking on an oncoming rain storm. "But it may still be prevented." She took two more steps in Kikyo's direction. "Naraku is not yet in full possession of the girl – Tsumi, her name is."

"Then who is?" Kikyo asked. She knew that no one so pure would risk open, secluded living. They would mask themselves somewhere well-populated, not here in this forsaken forest.

"InuYasha's older brother, Sesshomaru." Kagura tried very hard to guess at the expression nesting on Kikyo's face. "Naraku has promised him something in return, if he keeps her safe until due course."

"What is his intended reward?" asked the miko.

"That I do not know," Kagura hissed, still raging over it inside. "But it is not he you should pursue; you stand no chance against such a powerful demon." It was a fact, but it was a fact that deeply offended the priestess, she could see. "Bear south-west, and you will find InuYasha. He is tracking Sesshomaru, to save the girl. Tell him what I have told you."

Kikyo retrieved her arrow from the ground, not yet putting it away. "InuYasha? And why should I tell him? How will that help this Tsumi's cause?"

Kagura pulled a tiny feather from her hair. "It will lead him in the right direction." She took off then, before she could be pierced with one of those awful arrows.

Seeing InuYasha – especially with that Kagome – was not a prospect Kikyo relished. However, if Tsumi's fate was really as bad as Kagura had said, then the priestess felt somewhat obligated to try and throw a wrench in Naraku's plans. She had prayed for the aura's owner to escape her own fate, and indeed, she had – for one much, much worse. _I will stop you, Naraku_, she thought, and headed south.

oOo

Even in sleep, Tsumi seemed to find no peace. Sesshomaru watched from a distance as she arched and tossed in the grass where she napped, teeth bared in pain. The afternoon sun might have looked pretty on her skin, if only she weren't doused in a thin coat of sweat, her face contorting in rapid succession.

_What world do you dream of?_ he wondered, glancing upon her anguished face. _What sullied desires plague you in the depths of sleep? _After all, it was impossible to control the outcome of a dream; the hidden fears and innumerable denials of the self often made themselves painfully visible in dreams. He knew this only too well... He watched her fingers curl over handfuls of verdant grass as waves of torment washed over her face, only to retreat, leaving her features flaccid once more. Sesshomaru knew it could be anything from anger to greed to lust – all normal desires of the heart, human or demon. But privately, he hoped for one of these in particular.

With no one around, Sesshomaru took a guilty moment or two to study Tsumi's sleeping form, deliciously obscured by layers of deceptive silk. The kimono she wore was far above her social station, but it was what he'd been able to procure at the time, and it suited her well. A part of him – deeply repressed in the craggy recesses of his consciousness – longed to sweep aside just one side of her collar, just to get a glimpse of shoulder. He was tempted to lift a belled sleeve in order to gaze upon a bit of naked wrist, but refrained from doing so. After all, how would he explain himself out of _that_? Tsumi did, however, have an undignified habit of going barefoot. It was unseemly, but Sesshomaru did nothing to correct her.

_It is not my concern if she shames herself_, he thought. While he watched, Sesshomaru imagined that the dream that tortured his captive so was one in which he played a starring role. He liked to think it belonged in the latter of the three aforementioned categories; the idea that he could simultaneously antagonize and pleasure Tsumi was an appealing one, and he quietly reveled in it.

He did not move a muscle upon Kagura's arrival. He waited for her to approach him, and did not spare her a glance; he didn't feel like answering any unwanted questions.

"Becoming a voyeur, I see," she offered.

"What do you want, Kagura?"

"Is that how you welcome guests?"

"Only the uninvited."

"Fair enough." She did not sit. "I'm supposed to tell you that Naraku is requesting more time." She spoke with the air of an overworked, underpaid carrier pigeon.

"Hm." Somewhere, he knew that he should feel agitated by this information, or indifferent at the very least. But to his own clandestine shock, he found he was _pleased_. Nonetheless, he demanded a reason.

"There has been some unforeseen setback in your payment," she mimicked her master's words without conviction. "Naraku isn't prepared to take the girl without honoring his end of the bargain."

"That's courteous," Sesshomaru observed. "How novel of him."

Kagura chuckled at the subtle jab. "So you aren't angry with him, then?"

Sesshomaru did not answer; he had nothing to say.

"Well fine, then. Keep your silence." And dramatically, she whisked herself away.

It occurred to him then that she might still nurse a grudge for him over their last meeting – of which he had almost forgotten entirely. He waited long after Kagura left, sitting still as a stone in the grass, just watching Tsumi for signs of waking. Deep, deep down, he silently acknowledged the shift that was taking place inside him, and he knew he could do one of two things about it: he could continue denying it in full, or he could embrace it with all the trappings. But, being Sesshomaru, he opted for a third choice – less productive, perhaps, but more dignified at any rate. He could accept these zealous and misunderstood feelings of his, and still seek justification. It wasn't as comfortable as denial, but it was almost as cathartic. However, this meant that there were some steps to be taken – steps that might normally span over several years, if not decades. But there was no time for ritual ceremony, only enough to cramp in some elements of tradition – just enough to maintain what would be left of his integrity, by the end.

_ Might as well get it over with now_, he thought, standing. "Rin!" he called. He watched the little girl come charging happily out from around a corner. He wondered idly if she'd been watching him watch Tsumi. "I require your assistance, Rin." Gently, he patted her on the head. She seemed pleased at being asked.

"We are going to get food, aren't we, Sesshomaru-sama!" She grinned; Rin loved these little excursions into human villages. It was Sesshomaru's logic that having a young child in his presence was helpful when dealing with humans, for they were skittish and endlessly unpleasant when faced with him alone.

He nodded shortly, lowering himself so that Rin could climb into his arms; flying would be the quickest method of travel. _Food and other things_, he thought. In his mind, he went over a kind of checklist of detailed and methodical requirements. There was an order to be followed, and even if he could not maintain the proper time frame, Sesshomaru _would _uphold tradition as best he could. So with eager Rin cradled in his arms, the two of them set off into the late afternoon.

Rin squirmed in excitement.

"Be still, Rin," he commanded her.

Immediately, Rin became stagnant.

And so it was that Tsumi woke alone. This wasn't unusual, but she was startled at being on the ground and at the pink blush that had erupted in the sky. _Did I sleep that long? And outside, no less!_ Groggy, she brushed the dirt and grass off of her lovely kimono. She peered around, but saw no sign of Sesshomaru, who was usually to be found outside. It was unlikely he would spend even a minute indoors without inclement weather. _So he must be gone_, she thought gleefully, ignoring the first stirrings of punitive pain in her abdomen. _I wonder where he's gone off to_. She imagined he might have gone up to the hot springs – he generally took his sweet time, affording her vast hours of relief in the wake of his preening and steeping. It didn't escape her notice, however, that embedded in the knot of pain, there was a small, smoldering ember of something else. It too was achy, but it was enjoyable – a pleasant kind of nausea, if that was at all possible. She dismissed it.

In the house, there was only Jaken, whom she avoided at all costs. He appeared to be of the same attitude towards her, which was fine. It only made things easier. _Where's Rin?_ she wondered sadly, for the girl was her only joy left. Tsumi loved her games and her optimism, for it was contagious. It was nigh on impossible to be sad in Rin's effervescent presence. She would miss the girl dearly, she knew, and wished they could have met under different circumstances. It was nice having a child around – it was like getting to play mother without having gone through the stress and the hassle of bearing and caring for an infant.

Feeling especially lonely, Tsumi made her way back outdoors and sat beside Ah-Un, who had lumbered over by a tree and was grazing. His two heads were pointed in opposite directions, and he almost seemed to purr in enjoyment of his meal. Tsumi stroked his side, her legs tucked unceremoniously at an awkward angle. She hated how the fancy kimono with its many layers and restricting cut hampered her already clumsy motion.

"Where on earth did Sesshomaru find you?" she wondered aloud. Her voice quelled the emptiness of the warm, evening air. She tried to imagine the source of the beast's unquestionable loyalty to the taiyoukai, and was forced to chalk it up to time. For though Ah-Un might have been a pack animal, he was anything but stupid; Tsumi couldn't help but think she'd heard him snort at a few of Rin's jokes. Sense of humor aside, he showed many traits of being sentient, and it both comforted and unnerved Tsumi. "You are a kind creature," she told him, patting his scales. He seemed to hum.

"As is Lord Sesshomaru." There was Jaken, emerging from the house. "Though I don't know why, your insolence considered! You should be grateful he bothers to feed and clothe you!"

Why she was being addressed by him suddenly was a mystery – and one she did not care to unravel. Turning away from the kappa, she said, "In case you've forgotten, I am to be handed over to that Naraku. Your master's 'care' for me is strictly to keep me – the goods – in sufficient condition."

"It's more courtesy than that, you contemptuous girl!" he exclaimed. He'd witnessed quite enough of her asperity and was more than ready to hit her upside the head. He might have, would he not be severely punished. "When I think of all the times Lord Sesshomaru has spared you his usual sharp reprimands – all of which you deserve! – I'm, I'm...!" Jaken faltered in his irritable anger, and Tsumi happily filled in the blank for him.

"_Green _with envy?" she supplied, hardly containing her smug grin.

Jaken had just about lost his patience and was in the middle of raising the Staff to her when he spotted Sesshomaru cresting their hill, followed by Rin, whose arms were laden with parcels. He bowed low and nearly dropped the Staff of Two Heads in fear of being found out – mostly because he could spot Sesshomaru's narrowed eyes even from his distance, and knew he'd been caught in the act. "Welcome back, my lord!" he groveled.

Tsumi had to try very hard not to roll her eyes. She said nothing, but watched Sesshomaru take two of the cloth parcels from Rin and stow them in a fold of his sash. Even though she hated to admit it, she was unbearably curious about what could possibly merit being carried by Sesshomaru himself.

Dinner was brief, as Rin was exhausted from her outing with Sesshomaru. Over miso and chicken – roasted crudely with a small kitchen fire – she hurriedly recounted the day's events. It was strange to Tsumi how surprised Rin was by peoples' attitudes toward Sesshomaru: wary, mostly, if not outright belligerent. But then, the youkai was oddly different with Rin, and yet not. He was just as impassive, just as unrelenting...but he was so protective of her. It was obvious in his eyes that he cared for her, despite all his attempts to hide it.

By the time the moon – still just a thin crescent over the tree line – had risen into darkness, Sesshomaru decided it was time. He could smell that dinner had been finished, that bowls had been cleaned and sheets had been turned down. He also knew that Tsumi was probably still awake, prone to insomnia as she was. He rummaged through Ah-Un's saddlebags until his fingers closed around the tiny, lacquered box. He held it aloft for a moment, admiring its shimmery finish, the immense detail of filigree around the edges. Even the hinge in back was ornate. He only regretted not having the appropriate wrapping.

Making his strides long and even, he calmed himself with breathing exercises, which had oft served him well – usually when dealing with Jaken's incessant chatter. He passed under the front archway, cringing as he entered the cramped confines of the house. All was dark, save for a wave of flickering light emanating from Tsumi's doorway. She sat at her single window, chin positioned on her folded arms at the sill, gazing out. The topmost layer of her kimono was already shed, folded neatly on the vanity. Sesshomaru averted his eyes, knocking on the molding.

Tsumi turned, her face transforming quickly from curious surprise to resentful suspicion in no time at all, and Sesshomaru was alarmed to see tear tracks staining her cheeks in all directions. He tried to ignore the odd stinging sensation it gave him to look into her reddened eyes.

"Yes?" she asked. Her voice was shockingly steady for someone who had obviously spent a good deal of time crying.

He entered her room without further permission, momentarily forgetting the purpose of his visit. "What is the meaning of your tears?" he inquired calmly.

Tsumi's face, usually fair, darkened in ugly anger. "You should very well know," she spat. "I'm feeling very sorry for myself," she added shamelessly. She refused to turn away, boring into him with her cold, abiding hatred.

Conversationally – on the verge of improper – he asked, "Doesn't your selfishness pain you? Self-pity is no doubt a form of greed – that must only make matters worse for you." He stood in the middle of the small room, posture stiff, head cocked to one side.

"Of _course_ it makes matters worse," she said, as if she were confirming a child's painfully obvious theory.

"Then you are causing yourself undue pain," he observed. It was another facet of the human condition that eluded him: how, knowing that emotion caused so much turmoil, humans continued to indulge themselves in it. With a little discipline and some good faith, it was possible to temper oneself and avoid all of that nonsense.

Another wave of silent tears flooded Tsumi's dark eyes. She choked back a particularly unattractive sob and said, "I know. I'm betting it will kill me eventually."

Sesshomaru almost lost himself in a snort, but managed to refrain. "Are you _that_ pure? So perfect that you are willing to sacrifice yourself to thwart me?" Behind his back, his hold on the little box tightened. "To thwart Naraku?"

This time, the tears were not sad; they brimmed with anger, and not the usual frigid variety, but the hot, bubbling rage that burned deep within hidden trenches of the human heart. She stood, clutching the sill and glaring daggers at Sesshomaru. "Pure I may be," she hissed, "but I am _not _perfect." Little did he know that he had hit a very, very sore spot. "I don't know a thing about this Naraku person, not but what little my travel companions had told me. But I care not about his intentions, or yours, except that it involves me – and in the cruelest, worst way!" She was exploding, she knew, but she could not hold it back any longer. She was a patient person, but there had been too many years of too much unkindness and the last weeks had been the final straw. "It is not solely you or Naraku I intend to escape, but this miserable life! This life of loneliness and absurd expectations!" For a moment, it looked as if she might collapse, but she steadied herself and plowed on. "I cannot love, cannot hate, cannot want without knowing excruciating pain – and so I cannot know what it is to fully be human. And all of it comes without any semblance of a fair exchange! There is no power to be had, no kind of influence! Only ostracism and loneliness. So if there is nothing good for me, I will leave this life."

Sesshomaru took a few moments to process this incensed rant before deciding, "It is selfishness then, that drives you to suicide? That is dishonorable."

These were not kind words, and in that moment, Tsumi felt something inside her disintegrate. It was like a tumble of fire rushed downward, filling her with heat and rage and for just the briefest moment, there was no pain. Blinded by absolute rage, she charged forward, hands outstretched, not sure where to wrap her fingers first. But before she could do any damage, Sesshomaru pocketed the box and gripped her wrists tightly, pulling her into him so that she could not attack – he did not know what his reaction might be if she succeeded.

Between his rapidly tightening bind on her wrists and the danger of his imposing proximity, Tsumi's anger quickly gave way to unequivocal fear. Her eyes shimmered and her swollen lips parted in the slightest little 'o' as she watched Sesshomaru's looming face, uncertain and unready for whatever consequences she had earned.

The fear in her eyes saved her though, ultimately, for as unbecoming a mask was sadness, fear put her features in an endearing light. Unable to stop himself, Sesshomaru raised a hand from her shaking arm and carefully put it to her cheek, stroking her face, his thumb tracing the dried trail of a tear. It might have been an almost intimate moment, if only the sharp edge of his claw hadn't ripped her skin, spilling blood into his hand. It trickled down his thumb, hot and angry-red. Tsumi was overtaken by a harrowing bout of pain then, and crumpled onto the floor, a pile of silk and hair and tears and blood.

Silently, Sesshomaru turned away from her, allowing her the privacy to cry out in agony, preserving what little dignity she had left. He could forgive such a display – it was only natural, after losing one's temper for the very first time. He strode outside, back under the sprawling sapphire sky and took out the little box. He gazed at it for a moment before opening it and admiring how the moonlight glinted along the bow of the jade comb inside. He closed the lid then, and stuffed it back into the saddlebag. As he tuned out Tsumi's agonized screams, he lamented on the fact that this was no longer the opportunity he had hoped for, and that it would have to wait for another time.

oOo

The bark of the tree was starting to score an impression in his palms. InuYasha shifted, relaxing his grip on the branches. The morning air smelled exquisite, but it did not escape him that Tsumi's smell was dwindling into the breeze. _Are we going the wrong way?_ he wondered. _Did we go too far?_ He had been so sure the night before that they were close, so strongly he had smelled her, but this morning, while crouched amongst the dewy needles of a pine, her scent was nearly erased.

InuYasha dropped down from the treetops, startling Kagome and Shippo. "I can barely smell her, anymore," he growled. "I think we've gone the wrong way."

Miroku shook his head. "I can still sense her aura...though," he reflected, "it has weakened." He looked in the general direction of their path, contemplative.

"You don't think Sesshomaru has already succeeded, do you?" Kagome asked.

"No. It would take more than a handful of days to achieve the end he seeks," Miroku answered, but his face didn't convince, and his voice was even less reassuring. "We should keep hurrying though; if we're going to prevent this from happening, we must intervene soon." He knew the diminished aura could mean the process was already underway.

The sun was high in the sky and the heat had become unbearable as the group marched on. Shippo complained loudly while InuYasha threatened him with a good punch to the head if he didn't shut up – though, everyone knew it was an empty threat, the heat considered. All the same, Kagome scolded InuYasha for his rudeness, not bothering to _sit!_ him. It was too hot for that kind of cruelty today.

"I don't understand!" cried Sango at last, wiping the sweat from her brow. "How can it be so hot?"

"It doesn't seem to be natural," Miroku observed wearily, too tired even to grab Sango's shapely backside.

"It isn't."

The six of them stopped dead at the sound of the familiar, unwelcome voice. In unison, they turned to see Kikyo at their backs. She walked forward, passing them by without further greeting, only stopping before their frozen faces to elaborate.

"InuYasha," she addressed him solely. The hanyou tensed, his right hand trembling, tangled between stillness and sword. Steadily, she carried on. "You seek the Tsumi girl, do you not? You have been tracking her by aura, by scent."

Behind him, InuYasha could feel the anxiety that seeped out of Kagome and the others. It forced his hackles up. "Yeah...what of it?"

Deciding not to mention her own initial interest, Kikyo said in barely more than a whisper, "Tell me, do you suspect your brother to be the culprit?"

"Of _course_ I do! Since it _was _Sesshomaru who kidnapped her!" he spat. He did not like the unrest this encounter was causing; had he his way, InuYasha would have liked to speak with Kikyo in private so as to avoid hostility. "_You_ tell _me_," he demanded again, "how do you know about Tsumi? And about Sesshomaru?"

Kikyo glanced down, and for a few fleeting seconds, she looked almost guilty. "I will not speak of it. However," she added quickly, "I will say that you ought not to seek out your brother. It will only delay your ultimate goal."

InuYasha snorted. "Yeah, we'll get back to Naraku as soon as we rescue Tsumi." He couldn't deny that the remaining shards of the Shikon jewel had plagued his mind this entire time, but it would be unfair to try and put one desire before the other. He had hoped that in their search, they might come across a shard or two, but so far, they'd had no such luck.

In answer to this, Kikyo shook her head. "In order to save the girl, you _must_ take down Naraku first," she insisted gravely. "Your brother is but a mere pawn – a distraction, a diversion designed by Naraku in order to sway you." Knowing that she could reveal no more without drawing attention to them, she turned on her heel and disappeared into the trees, ignoring InuYasha's loud demands for proof.

"Sesshomaru? A pawn? _Ha_," he barked. "I don't think so."

"I don't know," ventured Kagome at last – she had been paralyzed on her bicycle for most of the conversation. "Isn't it strange? First Sesshomaru abducts a girl from a small village, without any real reason, and then the Saimyosho turn up to lead you straight to Kohaku...you don't think it's all related?"

"Do you think Kikyo is right?" Sango asked.

"Are you kidding me?" InuYasha snapped. "It's not as if she has anything to do with this anyway! And how does she even know about it? How do we know she's not trying to lead us off so we'll just kill Naraku and abandon Tsumi to my brother?"

"It's difficult to imagine Kikyo with ulterior motives," mentioned Miroku.

"It wouldn't be the first time," huffed the hanyou, crossing his arms.

"InuYasha, you were tricked!" Kagome pointed out. "Stop holding that grudge!"

"Last time I checked, you didn't exactly want me and Kikyo to make nice and be friends," he accused, turning on her.

"Settle down, you guys! We're wasting time arguing about it!" Shippo had bounced into the middle of the fray and spread his arms out in an attempt to separate everyone. "InuYasha's right: Kikyo has nothing to do with this. She could definitely be trying to trick us. On the other hand, even if she _is_ telling the truth, won't rescuing Tsumi from Sesshomaru be more helpful in the long run? We're gonna' run into Naraku sooner or later anyway – we might as well finish what we started."

There was a moment of silence where everybody contemplated the kit's logic, and eventually it was agreed upon that saving Tsumi was a primary concern, regardless of the legitimacy of Kikyo's warning.

High above them, Kagura shook her head. "The fools! Won't they listen to reason?" She raced back towards the castle, then, searching herself for yet another course of action.

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><p>comments and critique are welcome! thanks for sticking with me this far :)<p> 


	8. Eight: Lost In Translation

**Note:** I just wanted to thank you readers who have reviewed. Your enthusiasm is lovely :)

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><p>Lost In Translation<p>

The fallout was debilitating. Much in the way of her arrival, Tsumi remained bedridden, half conscious and delirious. Her body shook and her bones ached and her joints protested with every move. Her dreams were muddy and confused, shifting from one world to the next without warning. Memories and perceptions and misunderstandings...they all flooded her mind and passed in a technicolor blur, too strange to be real and yet too tangible to escape. Faces she couldn't name and names she couldn't place passed in and out of her vision; feelings she didn't recognize welled up inside her, frightening in all their unfamiliarity. Little bolts of pain shocked up and down her nerves, criss-crossing and butting heads, causing bursts of heat in odd places.

But something was different. The pain, as endless as it seemed to be, did not circle back into her body. It began in her bones, trickling into her muscles and weeping into her bloodstream; it found its way into her heart and managed to disperse inside her lungs, and when she breathed it out, it left her entirely. And bit by bit, day by day, Tsumi realized that sometime soon, she wouldn't feel it anymore. Eventually, for the first time in her life, the pain would go away.

There were times – more and more frequently – where Tsumi was lucid. These times were the worst in terms of pain, but they were also the best, because she would usually come around to find Rin at her bedside, a worried, tentative smile on her face. And even if it meant being more conscious of the pain, Tsumi thought it was better to be aware and with someone then numb and alone. Rin sat beside her for hours, telling her stories and relaying the events of her day; she sang for Tsumi once or twice, and even offered to feed her. Tsumi usually abstained, not feeling that her stomach was up to doing its job proper.

At last though, there came a day when Rin could stand it no longer. Tsumi had lapsed into her comatose sleep and was thrashing in pain. Unable to care for her, Rin dashed down the hall and out the door. She stopped just short of Sesshomaru, who was lounging under cover of his favorite tree, half asleep.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin cried, throwing her arms in the air. "Tsumi-san has been so ill these past few days! Please come and see to her!"

Sesshomaru did not look at Rin. He hated how Tsumi's condition distressed her so, but there was nothing for it. "There is nothing I can do for her, Rin." He stared up into the abundant foliage to avoid meeting Rin's big, sad eyes.

"But-but!" She fought with herself to find the courage to object. "But Lord Sesshomaru, she hasn't been well since..." Rin faltered. She did not want to give herself away, but it seemed she would have to. "Not since your argument." Even as she spoke, her little voice trailed off into little more than a downy murmur.

"Rin, were you eavesdropping?" Sesshomaru asked, his even tone betraying none of his amusement. Perhaps he should have been angry, but he couldn't help himself.

She sniffled. "Yes," she answered, glancing down at the ground. "Please, Sesshomaru-sama, please come see her! I think it would help." Rin's watery eyes flitted to the lacquered box peeking out over the top of her master's sash. "Perhaps if you gave Tsumi-san her presents, it might make her better?" she suggested.

Surprised by the girl's observance, Sesshomaru turned away. "No," he declined, "now is not the time for gifts." He wanted Tsumi to be coherent so that she might appreciate his gesture – and more than that, he didn't want her to think of it as a peace offering. He wanted to be sure she knew just what kind of offering it was. "Besides, Rin, I cannot give them to Tsumi all at once."

This seemed to distract her for the moment; she sat down, cross-legged. "Why?"

"You're too young to understand yet," he spoke the words he himself had hated as a child, so many centuries ago. He was sure nothing had changed in the ways of children, and he was right: Rin begged and pleaded and nagged until he finally gave in. Vaguely, he explained, "There is an order to presenting gifts of..." he searched himself for an appropriate substitute phrasing, "friendship. Breaking that order is an insult." A few feet away, Sesshomaru saw Jaken crack open a yellow, disapproving eye.

"Hm." Rin rocked back and forth for a moment. "Well, can't you give her at least one gift, Sesshomaru-sama? I think it would cheer her up!"

"Not just yet, Rin."

With a huff, Rin dragged her feet behind her into the house, defeated.

It was no surprise when Jaken came leaning on the Staff, scrutinizing. "_Friendship_," he croaked, "is that what you're calling it?"

"What else ought it be called, Jaken?" Sesshomaru countered warningly.

"Its rightful name," dared the kappa. He did not like what he was seeing at all. Surveying the shameful color in Sesshomaru's face, Jaken continued his berating. "Forgive me, my lord, but just how do you expect such a proposition to turn out? The girl's outlook is grim, no matter the perspective" When Sesshomaru still said nothing, Jaken traipsed onward. "It doesn't help that her view of your esteemed self is skewed in even the brightest light."

"Jaken." Sesshomaru's voice was hard as a stone, if not as heavy. "Hold your tongue."

The kappa sighed. "Yes, my lord."

"You will lend me your assistance, now," he ordered. "In lieu of your support, I will send you to retrieve the final item I must bestow."

Jaken's eyes grew impossibly large with shock and horror. "Me? My lord, surely you jest!"

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow.

Jaken groaned, turning on his heel, slouching. "Very well. It will take at least five days."

"Be hasty." And that was all he sent with his loyal servant. After a time, when he could stand the weighty solitude no longer, Sesshomaru found his feet leading him inside the cramped house and to Tsumi's door. Rin sat on the floor beside the bed, a fresh bouquet of flowers in her hands. She smiled silently when she saw Sesshomaru.

He watched Tsumi, closely examining her face. He could still see pain, and lots of it – but it was resolving itself, becoming less and less, occupying an ever smaller portion of her. He knew it might be a while before she had fully recovered from the effect of their conflict, but in the long run, it would be for the best. _I knew you had free will_, he thought.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin whispered, breaking him from his monologue. "Tsumi _will_ get better, won't she?" The little girl's eyes were so full of concern it would have been hard to tell her otherwise, true or not.

As it was, the truth would suffice. "She will," he told her stolidly, "in time."

oOo

The things he saw enraged him deeply: Kagura, circumventing his orders; Kagura, revealing his plans to Kikyo; Kagura, attempting to play his own pawns against him. The only vision in Kanna's mirror that did not give Naraku half a mind to kill the insolent woman was one in which Sesshomaru refused her offer without the blink of an eye. But it was a small comfort when stacked against Kagura's many offenses, and Naraku was fighting not to sap his much-needed energy by losing his temper.

"With every betrayal," Kanna whispered, "your endeavor loses ground."

Naraku studied his oldest incarnation carefully, drinking in all possible meanings of her remark. With all this new information, he thought he finally understood the reason behind the slow-going. Every betrayal committed against Naraku ate away at Sesshomaru's replacement arm, sabotaging his success.

"I see." Naraku stroked his chin, lost in thought. He would love to punish Kagura, and now he certainly had the vindication, but no. He needed her. As long as he did not yet possess Tsumi, he needed Kagura. _Tsumi is an ignorant creature_, he thought, _more so than her peers. Not only does she cage herself in by refusing what comes naturally to the human soul, but she further disgraces herself by not harnessing the infinite amount of power such refusal could grant her. It's just as well, though_, he thought, _or else this timely opportunity might never have made itself available_. Naraku did not like the thought of what consequences awaited him if Tsumi awakened her own power, or worse, if someone else got there first. _She would be useless to me, merely another threat for me to destroy_. He didn't feel like putting in that much effort. Besides, it would be so much more fun to watch her annihilate her friends, the monk and the demon slayer, and that forsaken miko wench who so resembled Kikyo. _Of course, I promised InuYasha to Sesshomaru, and I am a man of my word_, he grinned to himself.

"Kagura."

In a whirl of wind and debris, the sorceress appeared before her master. She saw nothing in his crimson eyes to give her pause.

_If I cannot punish you outright_, thought Naraku, _I will find another way_. "See that InuYasha is on his brother's doorstep," he ordered. "And Kagura." He relished the way her face froze in expectation. "Take Kanna with you," he added, as a preventative measure.

Kagura's eyes widened, but she did not argue. The only thing hinting at her objection was the pout her mouth had formed. But without a single word, she cast her feather into the wind, taking Kanna along for the ride. Long after they were out of earshot, however, she ranted and raved.

"It's so much more difficult with two," she said. "Help me find them, won't you, Kanna?"

Compliantly, Kanna held up her mirror, its surface blank and reflective before giving way to a vision of InuYasha and his motley gang. Kagura studied their surroundings before surmising that they were indeed just shy of the wooded break near the hills Sesshomaru had sought refuge in.

"What does Naraku hope to achieve?" she wondered aloud. "If InuYasha finds the girl..." she shook her head. She'd given it nearly three weeks: this plot did not add up. There was no sense, no connection between end and means – at least, not that she could see. _This would be so much easier if I were alone_, she griped to herself.

As if she could read Kagura's thoughts, Kanna stated, in her whisper-voice, "Kagura, had you stayed a loyal course, you would not be burdened with my presence." Although her tone was indifferent, Kanna's words still sat uneasily in her younger sister's belly.

"It's no burden," she lied. "If Naraku had only trusted me with his full intentions, I might not have had to resort to blind trickery." She was feeling defensive, and needed an outlet desperately.

Kanna's black eyes looked out into nothingness as she said, "That you resorted to trickery at all does not denote trustworthiness." The truth of it stung Kagura, and she huffed over it. "We must check on Sesshomaru," Kanna said. "Discreetly – do not let us be seen."

As they passed overhead, it struck Kagura how different the air felt. It was lighter, yet clung to a bitter sting. It smelled fresher, less dense. It also didn't escape her notice how empty the place felt: only the taiyoukai's scaly beast of burden remained outside, asleep amongst a tangle of brambles. "Something is different here," she finally noted aloud.

Kanna nodded as they changed direction, flying back into the wind. "As one vine sprouts, the other recedes." Cradling her mirror ever closer, she said, "Let us return to the castle, Kagura – let us return to Naraku."

Puzzling over her sister's vague observation, Kagura steadied them on a gust of wind.

oOo

_It is the height of summer_, Sesshomaru thought, exasperated, _how can this be?_ The smell was driving him crazy. It was a matter of utmost discipline that he refrain from covering his nose, if only to preserve his pride. But oh, how it vexed him: the sweet, musky flavor that permeated the air was one he was familiar with; it bore very little difference compared with its demon cousin. Spring was well behind them, but it was the scent of human heat that plagued his nose, he was certain. Due to his limited contact with humans, Sesshomaru was at a loss as to why it filled the air. _Do humans conceive more easily in summer?_ he wondered. _Is that the meaning of this_? Of course, the meaning bore little importance; all Sesshomaru wished was that Naraku would take the girl away – _far_ away, where he did not have to smell her infernal sweetness.

Tsumi was curled beneath a tree, unconcerned with the leaves that had fallen in her hair. Was she aware of how she tortured Sesshomaru? Did she revel in her quiet revenge? He could not suppress his own inner conflict: the urges to ravage and to eradicate lived side-by-side, arguing with one another, pulling him apart.

_Is this what lured father in?_ His thoughts went to the human Izayoi, and he wondered if his father had come across her, by chance, during this most inconvenient of times. There was more to it than just a mere dose of perfume, though. Against all logic, Tsumi's appearance confirmed her fragile state: her dark hair was glossier, her skin clearer; her lips were pinker and fuller, and her voice – on the rare occasions when she spoke – had become unbearably sultry. The worst of it was when Sesshomaru's imagination got the best of him, and he could almost picture the ways in which her body would surely have adapted: softer, more fragile. _So easily overcome_... He shook his head clear of the poisonous thoughts.

Sesshomaru put the tips of his fingers to one cheek: his face was hot with blood. He had to admit he was glad to have sent Jaken away – he could just hear the string of reprimands now. But from his place beside Ah-Un, he watched Tsumi, blanketed by the shade. She looked so helpless, so pained, and yet her face was not contorted with the knots of anguish.

_Surely she is afflicted by the release of her anger, her selfishness. And to add this period of heat on top of it_... He wondered what it must feel like, so many yearnings at once. Suddenly, his own contending desires paled in comparison, and he was ashamed of letting it get the better of him. It wasn't sympathy that drove him, however, merely curiosity. He couldn't help but wonder if she lusted after he, Sesshomaru. _I am the only male around for miles_, he thought, almost proudly as his demon instincts kicked in. _The pathetic creature_, he noted, seeing the way her chest rose and fell at increasing intervals.

Across the way, Tsumi struggled with the upheaval within. She was feeling things she had never felt before: anger stormed arrantly inside her chest while resentment and selfish longing charged through her insides. The initial pain she'd felt had relented though, paving the way for something she almost couldn't identify – something she had never hoped to feel: gratification. The satisfaction had washed over her mind, settling so many years of undue restraint...but with her heart and mind sated, another monster arose, rearing its unresolved head. Her body, which had rebelled against her all her life, was now free to align itself with her innermost desires. And now, a week before the full moon, she was feeling the painful seeds of another kind of longing sowing themselves a home in her veins.

At that moment, Sesshomaru came gliding over the grass, his boots falling silently on the ground. Tsumi cringed, waiting on what he would say or do, but instead, he simply paused before her. In the sun, he turned his head this way and that, ever so slightly, showing each of his sets of magenta stripes in turn. He tried to meet her eyes, but she refused him. Without a word then, he continued along until he disappeared into the hills, out of sight.

_But never out of mind, unfortunately_, thought Tsumi, feeling oddly sullied by the encounter.

As Sesshomaru bathed, he went over that microcosm of a moment again and again in his head. He did not like how he had been avoided – it stung him in places he preferred not to acknowledge. His pride felt like the least of his worries. To ease the dull pain, he reminded himself that Tsumi was a human, and probably had no knowledge of youkai customs. _I'm sure she had no clue what any of that meant_, he thought. _Or worse, what if she _does _understand, and I'm simply making a fool of myself_. Jaken had been right, after all: there was little chance that Tsumi would view him with favor, the situation considered. _But that's no reason not to try_.

Darkness had fallen and Sesshomaru was sitting beside Ah-Un, puzzling over too many things at once. He wished he knew when Naraku would send for the girl – it would be nice to have a deadline. He also wished he could know her thoughts, so that he might know when to approach her again. It was infuriating to be confronted with a human of such admirable willpower; most humans' emotions were written plainly on their faces, and while Tsumi wasn't nearly as secretive as Sesshomaru, she did present a more subtle front. She showed feelings, it was just a game of guessing which ones.

_It seems I've dug an impressive hole for myself, _he chuckled quietly, eyes searching the clear sky. The stars seemed far off and cold tonight, while the absolute cobalt heavens swallowed everything whole. Sesshomaru felt in dire need of a compass.

Ah-Un nudged his shoulder then, huffing loudly.

"Hm?" Sesshomaru turned to face the creature's two heads.

The beast continued to accost him until it nearly knocked the box from its hideaway in Sesshomaru's sash. Un blinked deliberately at him, nodding at the parcel while Ah nipped at the loose end of the sash.

"I see." Hesitantly, Sesshomaru perforated a piece of the fine cloth, dithering before finally ripping it neatly off, leaving no trace of damage behind. He could wish for deadlines and compasses all he wanted; it would never come. However, he controlled his own actions, and that counted for greater importance. "No time like the present, eh?" he stroked Ah-Un between the shoulder blades as a thank-you. He was sure it saw more than it let on.

Inside the house, there was laughter and slow chatter. Sesshomaru's ears picked out Tsumi's voice and instantly, he imagined her giggling at him, a deep blush sweeping across her cheeks, hand pulled up to hide a burgeoning grin. His skin flashed hot and cold. Again, he cringed upon entering the house; it was difficult to be under the eaves of a roof on such a gorgeous night. He found the girls in Tsumi's room: Rin had her face painted with rouge and charcoal in a clownish parody of kabuki. Sesshomaru had to struggle not to smile. It didn't escape his notice that Tsumi did not giggle or blush in his presence: her face went blank, instead, and her cheeks drained of color.

He cleared his throat. "Rin."

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama?"

"It's getting late. You haven't eaten. Go start some water."

In her mysterious way, Rin seemed to understand exactly what could not be said. Her eyes darted to his hands, folded behind his back, and she nodded. She stood then and tottered out of the room, still all made-up, leaving the two adults behind.

Sesshomaru did not bow, as would have been proper, but he let his gaze fall a little before returning to his usual stiff position. It was a makeshift show of respect, but Tsumi would take it. She inclined her head curtly in response, wary.

"I have something for you," he said, revealing the box, which he had wrapped in the bit of discarded sash. It was more personal than he would have liked, but it was what he had. He extended his reach, pushing the box into her hands. "It's nothing," he insisted, as was proper.

Tsumi did not open it immediately. She scrutinized her captor with a suspicious, roving once-over before beginning to carefully untie the sash, picking clumsily at the tight knot. Sesshomaru watched her eyes as she admired the shiny, black box. Though she didn't make the fuss she should have, he could bare with that, the circumstances being what they were. He watched in satisfaction as she opened the box, sucked in her breath and tried not to be in awe over the lavish gift.

"_Jadeite_," she breathed. The cloudy blue bow of the comb was carved into an elaborate anemone shape, the petals extending lovingly into the solid, stone teeth. Her fingers examined every groove and slope, polishing the smooth surface in reverence. "But –" she began.

Sesshomaru stopped her, holding up a slender hand. "I said, it's nothing. It's only to tame your unkempt tresses," he gestured at her long, tumbling locks, "to make up for that shoddy wooden comb you're so fond of." Upon receiving the usual irate glare, he amended, "It hardly does you justice."

Tsumi's eyes fell onto the precious comb once more, admiring the way the stone anemones caught the light. _Sincerity_, she thought. It was no small gesture. "Thank you," she accepted it, if purely out of shock. "Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama." Her eyes met his, cool and blank with the the tones of respect due such a generous gift.

He nodded and turned, heading for the door. "Keep the cloth," he told her, making clear his intent. As he strode away from her, he felt his stomach twist uncomfortably at her use of honorifics with him. It was something he'd wanted all along, that he'd rightfully deserved...but now that he had it, it sat heavy in his heart, discomfiting and altogether wrong. _Is what I'm feeling...disappointment?_

Outside again, Sesshomaru lay in the open, stretching out in the grass. His thoughts were scattered and unusually confused. His goals had become muddled; his strategies had become jumbled. Suddenly, he found that the two things he wanted most could not coincide – at least, not without error. And error simply wasn't something he was accustomed to accommodating. He folded his arms underneath his head and closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of crickets, waiting for some answer to reveal itself.

It must have been some hours after midnight, but Tsumi sat, still as a statue before the cracked mirror of the vanity, staring at the jade comb. It was rare. It was exceptional. It was beautiful. Her eyes followed the patterns forged by the fluid carvings in the bow down to the pointed nub of every tooth. She kept her hands tucked inside her sleeves, reluctant to touch it as if it were cursed. The symbolism of the gift challenged her, daring her to accept what was right in front of her face.

But she could not. _What game does he think he's playing at?_ she thought briskly. It was either a cruel joke or a gloomy proposition – and in either case, she felt affronted. If he were teasing her, it was a most dishonorable jest, particularly with the selection of the anemone decoration. Maybe things were different, for demons, but in her world, such a gesture was to be taken in utmost sanctity. On the other hand, if he was being _serious_... Tsumi scoffed. _As if I would take him up on it_. The worst part was that she suspected he _was_ serious: he had included a section of his own sash, the saffron patterned silk swirling with violet...and in spite of all her ill will and resentment, Tsumi had accepted that as well. The wrapping was the one part of a gift she was free to reject, yet she had kept it. And while the comb, in its ornate box, sat idly by itself, she had stashed the sash in the drawer, out of sight so she wouldn't be tempted. For _oh_, how it smelled of him! And he smelled _good_. There was no way to distinguish any one scent from another; Sesshomaru smelled sweet and spicy – there was something heady about him, almost like poppies before they had reached full bloom. The effect was about as intoxicating. It was easy to overlook during her day-to-day routine, but whenever he got close...and now, with a piece of his own garment in her possession, it would haunt her hour after savory hour.

It had been at its worst earlier, when he had preformed that bizarre little ritual, she thought. And then, in the midst of her addled thoughts, confused by the late hour, she realized what he had been doing. _He was peacocking_, she realized with awe. _He was...he was showing himself off!_ Tsumi thought the impact of such an epiphany might cause her to faint. To beat herself to the punch, she fell into bed, fully dressed, too tired and too befuddled to go on.

She left the comb in its box, open to the air. It taunted her until her eyes fell shut.

oOo

It was making Sango restless to watch InuYasha as he darted back and forth along the path ahead of her, sniffing the air intently for something he could not find. Beneath her, she could feel Kirara wilting; the nekomata was clearly stating that the cause was lost. Sango didn't want to believe it. "We'll find her, InuYasha, but not tonight," she said through the darkness. She had agreed to accompany him in the hopes that they'd find a good, clear trail, but now that she'd seen the results...

InuYasha's shoulders squared. His ears flattened back. "You go back if you're tired, Sango," he said gently. Or was he just as tired as she was?

"InuYasha...?"

"No. I'm staying." At the moment, he couldn't help but chuckle at the new meaning he'd brought to the word 'dogged.'

Sango sighed. "I should leave Kirara with you," she offered.

"No. I'll be fine on my own." Finally, he turned and faced her. "You'll be safer if you have Kirara to guide you, Sango. I'm not gonna' lose you too." As an afterthought, he added, "Miroku would have my head."

Sango was glad to see the ghost of a smile on his face. She nodded. "Okay. But please, be careful out here, InuYasha."

"What're you worried about?" he said, coming back to himself. "I've made it _this_ far without gettin' the ax, haven't I?"

Sango shook her head and slouched on Kirara's back as they turned in the opposite direction. _InuYasha seems hell-bent on saving Tsumi when he was the one who didn't want to escort her in the first place_. It was something she had been contemplating for a while now. InuYasha had been behaving very oddly, and despite the air he put off, he could be very good at keeping secrets when he wanted to be. Her thoughts strayed to Miroku and the suspicions he'd shared with her. _That's nonsense_, she tried to shake the notion away, like an unwanted bug from her hair. _InuYasha loves Kagome. Besides_, she reasoned, _he didn't seem too set on this until after he realized Sesshomaru was involved_. It wasn't exactly a secret, the grudge those two bore for one another.

Behind her, InuYasha ventured deeper and deeper into the wood. He had come to realize that Tsumi's smell wasn't dwindling, it was _changing_. It was a difficult task to learn the newer smell without its source, but slowly, he was managing it. He couldn't help his own excitement, for overpowering the new smell was an old and familiar one: Sesshomaru. _He's been through here_, InuYasha thought. A manic determination filled him and he persisted, following his brother's scent now. Through trees and brush and mud and all other manner of obstacles, InuYasha followed his nose to the base of a hill. _I'm close_. He looked up, assessing the hill, but there was nothing but trees and more hills. A little sliver of stream stretched upward, carving out a winding path into the depths of yet more forest. Boldly, InuYasha stepped forward, but was met with a shock and fell backwards. _A barrier? Ah ha_. Grinning at his find, he drew Tetsusaiga and prepared to slice through what had to be his brother's barrier. Whatever happened after that, he would deal with as a consequence. _But if I can just get Tsumi out of here_...

InuYasha charged silently at the barrier, Tetsusaiga flaring red in the night. He hit the barrier hard with his blade, but nothing happened. The only sign that he'd hit his mark was a clear singing noise that rang through the darkness. It was like the angry toll of a bell.

_What?_ Tetsusaiga had never failed him like this before. What was the matter now? Not one to give up, InuYasha tried again, and again. Not a scratch erupted in the barrier – just a chorus of singing. _But...how?_ He flopped onto the ground, sheathing Tetsusaiga and scratching his head.

Not far away, Kikyo watched with sad eyes. _I told you, InuYasha, Sesshomaru should not be your target_.

In the morning, InuYasha returned to his friends. Kagome was just waking up. "Were you out all night?" she asked, concerned.

"Yeah," he admitted, dragging his feet through the dirt. He sat down beside the breakfast fire, uninterested in the fish that were roasting there. His ears drooped and he folded in on himself. He didn't look so much tired as he did defeated.

"Did you find anything?" Sango asked. She had stayed up as long as she could to wait for him, but eventually sleep had taken her. She'd been worried when she woke up this morning and he still hadn't returned.

Shamefully, he cast his gaze to the ground, obscuring his face behind a curtain of silver hair. "Yeah." He wondered if it was possible for his words to soak into the dirt. Maybe no one would hear him. "I found Sesshomaru's barrier," he murmured sullenly. All night, he'd tried time after time to break down the barrier. Nothing had worked.

There was a collective gasp around the fire.

"Did you break it?"

"Did you find her?"

"Where's Tsumi?"

"You didn't leave her behind, did you!"

"_SHUT UP_!" InuYasha heaved, exhausted and feeling less than pleased with himself. "I would _never _leave her behind; I _don't_ know where she is because I _didn't_ find her because _I couldn't break the barrier_!" He was on his feet now, panting, fists clenched and teeth bared. Before him there sat four frightened faces, but he couldn't make himself apologize for his outburst.

"You...you couldn't break the barrier?" Kagome whispered. Her eyes flitted to Tetsusaiga for a second before going back to InuYasha's harassed expression.

"No, I couldn't! I –" he stopped, frowning. Then, _smack_. He looked down into the palm of his hand and growled, "Myoga, this ain't the time!"

"I beg to differ, Master InuYasha," croaked the flattened flea, "this is an excellent time!"

InuYasha lifted the elderly youkai to eye level and said, "You know something, don't you, Myoga."

"Perhaps. The Tetsusaiga is designed to cut through _youki_ barriers. If the sword could not bring down Sesshomaru's barrier, that leaves only one possibility." InuYasha puzzled over this for more than a good minute, but nothing came of it. Frustrated, Myoga asked, "What happened when you hit the barrier?"

"It..._sang_," answered the hanyou. The memory of it was eerie and made his skin crawl.

"It sang?" Miroku asked. "That means..."

"The barrier is of pure energy," concluded Myoga, "not made of youki. How clear was the note? What was it's pitch, InuYasha?"

"Crystal – almost like bells. It was high pitched." His ears twitched at the painful memory.

"Ah. Then whoever is creating it is strained. That barrier will fall, and soon, I'd wager," said the flea.

"No." InuYasha's voice was firm. "Tsumi wouldn't confine herself like that. There's no way she's the one making that barrier."

"Perhaps not by choice, Master InuYasha. But if she is being drawn upon –"

"She's not! She's fine! And how long have you been following us, Myoga? We could've used your help a lot sooner, ya' know!" Between lack of sleep and the guilt he was still nursing, InuYasha was in no good mood.

"What's important is that Myoga is here now," said Miroku. "For one thing, it must mean we're safe." Myoga frowned at this. "For another, we may learn what can be done about this other kind of barrier."

"Nothing can be done, except to wait for this girl's strength to fail. Only then will the barrier break."

"Well that ain't good enough," huffed InuYasha. "Besides, I'm still not convinced she's the one making it, even if it _is_ pure." He turned and started in the direction of the barrier, and no one dared follow.

"He certainly seems set on rescuing the Tsumi girl," Myoga noted with suspicion.

"He feels guilty," Kagome answered. She'd been watching him for days; the way he would pace at night, muttering to himself; the way his eyes filled with pain whenever her capture was mentioned; and now, his incessant attempts to defeat the odds and get her out of Sesshomaru's clutches. "Can't you see it in his face? Every time someone suggests that it's too late, he gets defensive. He feels that it's his fault for letting Sesshomaru get her."

After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Shippo said, "Well isn't it?"

Back at the edge of the barrier, InuYasha put his hand over it. He looked up at the verdant rise before him, wondering where in the labyrinth of trees Tsumi might be, what she was doing, how she was feeling. Was she mad at him? Did she resent him? He let the shock of the barrier eat away at his nerves, almost in penance, before withdrawing his hand. Small welts appeared on his skin before healing over before his eyes.

_Tsumi_, he thought, _can you ever forgive me?_

oOo_  
><em>

The excruciating heat caused beads of sweat to gather on Jaken's brow. He wondered, as he waited for the piece to be finished, what madness had struck his master to send him on this errand. Nothing made sense anymore; order was being sacrificed, as was honor, if he was to be any judge of it. The pounding of hammer on molten gold rang unpleasantly around the forge, and Jaken removed himself outside where birds cawed overhead and the wind was cool.

_What on earth does Lord Sesshomaru think he is doing?_ thought the imp. _No good can come of this! And how he contradicts himself!_ Jaken had spent some time watching Sesshomaru, and it was difficult to miss the conflicted agony that flooded his eyes. Too many desires with too many drawbacks tangled themselves into an unruly nest in Sesshomaru's heart, and the confusion was seeping from him as of late. _If only he would abandon his foolish desires! He has deprived himself too long_, Jaken noted, _and it has clouded his mind._

Thinking on it, Jaken felt his gut grow nauseated: the way in which Lord Sesshomaru had come to look at the Tsumi girl. There was little that stood out, little that set her apart. She was of the usual make: brown eyes, dark hair, slim build – a bit on the taller side, but that was hardly a perk. For a human female to catch his master's eye, Jaken would have assumed she'd be of absolutely _remarkable_ appearance – a deity, by human reckoning.

_Perhaps he has been tricked by what's on the inside_, Jaken mused. Human romances tended to be marked by personality and compatibility – something that had undoubtedly swayed the Inu no Taisho. Such notions were useless amongst the affairs of demons, but held a kind of deep and mystic intrigue in the hearts of those such as Sesshomaru and his father – those who favored a more human appearance. It was no secret how much time Sesshomaru had been spending around Tsumi, in her company or otherwise. It disturbed Jaken to see how often his master stopped in on the girl while she slept, how often he stalked her through the night on her confined walks. Of course, his concern was for Sesshomaru's welfare, not Tsumi's. And this...this latest development bore will of the worst sort.

"Master Jaken." Behind him, Ryumo stood holding a parcel wrapped neatly in amber silk. "Your master's order is ready. I need only box it before you leave."

"Take your time," murmured the kappa. For the first time in his many years with Sesshomaru-sama, he prayed to encounter mishap on his return journey. Anything to prevent this final token from being given. _Anything_.

* * *

><p>Comments and critique are always welcome.<p> 


	9. Nine: Bleeding Through

Bleeding Through

Tsumi felt as if she might split in two from the inside out; deep within the caverns of her body, there was all the customary pain brought to her by the full moon. It would go away soon enough, but the intensity of it had laid her up in bed, sick. She had closed her door even to Rin, for she knew how the child worried about her and she had no way to explain her condition to a small girl. It occurred to her then, in an absurd moment of disparity, that Rin would grow up, inevitably – how then, would Sesshomaru explain this to his makeshift daughter? It couldn't be avoided, and poor Rin had no mother to do the job proper. The image of the refined and rigid taiyoukai trying to riddle out the mysteries of womanhood for a pubescent Rin brought tears of laughter to Tsumi's eyes, and they mingled with her tears of pain, giving her just a moment of relief.

Outside, Rin paced up and down the beds of wildflowers. She gathered plants at random, snatching up one stalk after the next. She hated being barred from Tsumi's room, but Lord Sesshomaru had scolded her once already for trying to go in. She thought about the scar on Tsumi's face where Lord Sesshomaru had cut her – he hadn't used his poison, had he? No, he wouldn't – not when he'd gone to all this trouble to make her comfortable! In all her time with him, Rin had never seen Lord Sesshomaru reach out to humans for food or otherwise, but he did now, to feed and clothe Tsumi. And the gifts! She wondered what Tsumi had said to anger him enough to make that cut across her face. What if he had lost his temper? What if just a _little_ venom had slipped? What if it had made Tsumi ill? Rin loathed the idea. She continued ripping plant life from the ground, roots and all. When at last she was worn out, she glanced over to Lord Sesshomaru, who was sitting still on the edge of a crumbling ledge. His eyes stared out to the horizon fixedly, as if he searched for something.

Silently, Rin tottered over to her guardian, dumping her mismatched bouquet in his lap. Hardly coming out of his reverie, Sesshomaru examined the thing; the smells pervaded his nose, distracting him from the horrid, horrid smell of blood. What was wrong? It had been a whole day and a half! And though the thick, iron-like smell concentrated everything within reach, he had yet to discover its source! It discouraged him: if Tsumi was wounded, that was bad news for all involved. Was she hiding it from him? He had not forgotten her suicidal sentiments, and it troubled him deeply that he could not locate the wound she bore. He had searched her high and low – from afar, of course – but there was nothing to be found. On the rare occasions when she left her room, he did notice that she was usually hunched over, and that she hobbled as if she nursed an injured leg. And she _was_ bleeding. Of that he was certain: only yesterday, he had found Rin at the river, scrubbing intently at some sheets, trying desperately to get a gory stain out of the fabric.

Sesshomaru noticed a yellow flower popping out at him. Why this color? Why this flower? He inhaled it. _Camellia_, he realized. _Hmm_. It was a little much. _But maybe that's what it takes to get through Tsumi's thick skull_. "Rin."

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama?" Her face was expectant and hopeful, like he might give her an excuse to see Tsumi.

"Find me more of these," he held out the singular camellia. "Lots of them."

Rin's mouth twisted in disappointment, but obediently, she retreated into the wildflowers, hunting ruthlessly for more of the sunny ones.

_What is ailing her so? And how can I prevent it from killing her?_ He stood and dusted himself off. It felt strange not to hit hard armor, as he had discarded it for the moment. To ease Rin's suffering, he told her as he passed, "Those flowers. They will help Tsumi." And even though he did not know if he spoke truth or lies, Rin appeared reassured and attacked her task with renewed vigor.

Inside, Sesshomaru hesitated at Tsumi's door. He sniffed the air; the blood was abundant and matted with tissue. If this was really such a grave wound, there was no way Tsumi could possibly hide it. It had to be something else. _But wait_. He sniffed the air again. There was more in the blood than gore and decay; he could smell discarded heat, as well. But..._how_? _It was only a week!_ he thought, befuddled. _Humans are odd creatures_, he thought before sliding back her door. As he'd expected, she was jackknifed into herself, arms clamped like a vice around her naval, pain evident on her face. She glared up at him, brow covered in sweat.

"Go away!" she yelled. She was wrapped in sheets and little else, it looked like. But considering her condition, she held very little appeal at the moment. "_Leave me_," she hissed through clenched teeth.

Her rejection stung sharply, to his surprise, but he ignored it. "I came to you out of concern," he stated. "I've been smelling blood for almost two days now." There was some satisfaction to be had in the shameful crimson color that rose in her cheeks at his knowledge.

The shame quickly mutated into anger, however. "Worried about the state of your collateral, are you?" she barked, nails digging into her own skin.

Sesshomaru had no answer for this accusation. It was true, in part; certainly he had to keep her intact for Naraku – that was their agreement, after all. And if he failed... A tremble ran up his phantom limb. Insubstantial as it was to him now, he would greatly regret losing it over the girl. But there was more to it than that. Something in him did not like the idea of Tsumi's pain – that same part of him had been in an uproar over being the cause of her agonizing little revelation the night he cut her face. Since he had no definite answer, he let her think as she wanted, but he would not stand idly by while she was in pain.

He remembered seeing his mother in this state as a child. Of course, it was usually for a grand total of thirty-six days following the end of spring, and always right on schedule too. He had known his father to ease her pain with a simple rubbing technique, one he thought might be easy to emulate. It was worth a try, he thought.

"I can give you some comfort," he offered as amiably as possible. "It isn't as if your...illness is of any great mystery to me. If you will permit me, Tsumi." He gestured that he should sit on the bed with her. They were both in slight shock at his use of her name, both ambivalent concerning the effect. Warily, she eyed him from her tangled nest of sheets. But the allure of relief was too great, so she allowed him to sit with her, though she remained tense throughout. "You will have to roll over," he told her, averting his eyes so she could disentangle herself without him seeing.

Cautiously, Tsumi managed to get onto her stomach, exposing her back to him. It didn't escape his notice how soft she looked without all the illusory silk masking her figure; planes of pale skin were interrupted here and there by the odd freckle or occasional scar. Muscles and bones added delicate infrastructure, reminding Sesshomaru that he was to proceed with absolute caution, lest he break her fragile body.

_However did you get by, Father?_ he wondered, recognizing the kind of restraint it must have taken him not to crush InuYasha's mother with merely an embrace. Carefully, he began to knead the small of Tsumi's back the way he'd watched his father do a thousand times. It was difficult to concentrate, faced with so much naked skin, but he managed. He would remind himself of who she was and, more importantly, _what_ she was. Her skin was feverish underneath his fingers, and he had to be wary of his own claws. He was intrigued at how her muscles seemed to melt for him, while her face remained guarded as ever. She looked angry. _She is upset with her body's reaction to me_, he thought smugly.

To distract himself from his own unwanted yearnings, he struck up conversation. "I've noticed you haven't made good of the gift I gave you," he stated without much feeling; an impressive feat, as inside, it felt as if there was a churning ocean.

Beneath him, Tsumi tensed again. She buried her face in her pillow, hiding from him. Eventually, she turned her head to the right and said, without meeting his eyes, "It's such a gorgeous comb: it ought to be preserved and kept safe." Her tone had cooled extensively, which bothered Sesshomaru. He preferred it when she was yelling at him, he decided, over this polite indifference.

He continued to massage her back, and she continued to surrender – however unwillingly. "That is your way of saying you don't like me," he said evenly. He gave a clump of knotted muscle a good twist, making her jump on purpose.

Tsumi's head whipped around to stare incredulously over her shoulder. "What would ever make you think I could like you?" she demanded. "You _kidnapped me_."

Sesshomaru almost sighed. "Are you incapable of distinguishing business from pleasure?" he asked. When she didn't answer, he said, "My arrangement with Naraku is purely business. But the things _we_ might arrange, Tsumi...that would be purely pleasure." He smirked, thinking on it.

Tsumi squirmed, turning away from him to hide the blush that had flooded her face uninvited. But she couldn't hide the color as it seeped into her neck, and she hated how her body – so deprived after many years – felt pleased by all these advances. It wanted Sesshomaru to make good on his word.

"I saw Rin scrubbing out your sheets yesterday," he mentioned. Her flesh grew even hotter under his fingertips. "I thought I'd offer you Jaken's – he never uses them."

"Thanks," she accepted the offer shakily.

Sesshomaru pressed his open palms over her back, digging the heels of his hands into her. "There is no need to be ashamed of the condition you're in," he told her flatly. "I don't understand your embarrassment."

Tsumi shook with what sounded like a hiccup. "Where I come from," she said softly, "men don't know about...these things." She still couldn't face him, confused and angry and embarrassed as she was. It didn't help that he was seeing so much of her bare skin.

"Human males are ignorant," he said, containing a snort. "It doesn't do well to be oblivious to one's own mate." When he felt Tsumi stiffen under his hands, he added, "Not that you count for so much. I'm only preaching the virtues of awareness." In a strange way, this seemed to calm her. "As it is, perhaps you should go without your kimono until –"

She turned around again, interrupting him. "Don't worry," she growled, frowning angrily. Sesshomaru was surprised to feel he was startled. "They'll all be in perfect condition when I return them to you."

He stood up then; he'd had enough harassment for one day. Taking long, sweeping strides, he stopped in her doorway. Without looking at her, he said, "You may keep the kimono – all of them – as a gift." And then he was gone.

Tsumi wondered if demons had any concept of the value of just _one_ kimono. Worse, were they privy to the meaning of the exchange of one? She glanced over her shoulder at the comb in its box; at any rate, Sesshomaru probably knew.

She turned over carefully in her sheets, cocooning herself in them to hide. But the pain was mild in comparison to what she was used to. _How is it that I can endure thinking of him like that_, she wondered, _without punishment? Why, when he touched me, could I think those things_..._?_ It was more than shame that drove her curiosity; never before had she been able to indulge in anger or lust – both of which pulled on her strongly in Sesshomaru's presence. The two emotions ran neck in neck, competing for dominance within her, and as much as she tried to side with one, the other always found a way to usurp her. _How dare he think he can woo me! He only intends to hand me over anyway._ But then, a bit of wanton desire wormed its way through this argument. _If you're going to be as good as dead anyway, you might as well enjoy what you have left_.

Tsumi shook her head. _No. This is ridiculous_. Another bout of pain clenched her insides and she groaned, expecting another wave that never came. _How far does this extend?_ she thought. _It is certainly one thing to feel angry or to think lustfully, but to _act _on those thoughts and feelings..._ Her train of thought was lost in the agony of her contractions, so she decided she would go for a walk to ease the pain. She dressed lightly, leaving off the top layer for fear of wrecking it.

As she strolled over the hill, she saw Rin dashing around the patches of flowers. When she met Tsumi's eyes, she pushed something behind her back, hiding it. She waved though, as if trying to be inconspicuous. It made Tsumi chuckle. Ah-Un was napping in a patch of shade and Sesshomaru was nowhere to be seen. This only made Tsumi nervous; she didn't like it when she didn't know where he was.

The sky was growing dark; in the distance, voluminous thunderheads grew steadily, rumbling balefully. Tsumi took solace in the cool grass between her toes, in the dusty dirt beneath her feet. The effort of exerting her muscles was dulling the pain, and she was free to let her thoughts wander. As she began to descend the hill, she wondered how to test this new freedom. _I don't dare act in anger_, she thought over the babble of the river. _I don't know how far Sesshomaru will allow himself to be pushed, and I'm not the least bit interested in the consequences of pushing him too far. _The memory of their fight still sent shivers down her spine; the fury in his golden eyes had been so fierce, she still feared for her life at the thought of it. _He is not a man to be toyed with_, she thought. And without Jaken around, Sesshomaru was the only standard she could set by.

Thunder boomed loudly over the horizon, threatening and glorious.

_What might have happened...?_ she wondered, still swimming in the memory of that night. The cut on her cheek stung; fat drops of rain began falling from the sky, but she did not turn back. _He was so angry, and yet...and yet he didn't_... When he had shoved her away – for shove her, he had – he had looked conflicted. His face had possessed a dark cast to it, and his features appeared frozen, like he was stuck for a second or two. Tsumi remembered this only because it was the last thing she'd seen before collapsing onto the floor in an eruption of anguish. In her mind, she imagined that he, like she, was conflicted by pain and lust. _What might have happened...?_ She remembered how tightly he had held her wrists, how close he had pulled her; what if he had... _No_. _I can't – I won't. I won't even consider it._

The problem was that she _was _considering it, and worse, she was considering it without penalty. Whatever had happened that night, she realized now that she was free. Free to feel however she wanted – to _want_ whatever she wanted, without a shred of consequence.

_ If I wanted to, I..._ but she stopped herself again. There was no way she could let that happen. Not after everything he had put her through – what he still intended to put her through. But then, if Sesshomaru had not taken her away, had he not forced her to lose her temper, she would still be guarding her feelings like a hawk. _Not that I can do anything with this freedom_, she noted bitterly. _I do not owe him! I bet that's what he thinks! He thinks I owe him for giving me this, and so he dares to court me even when he knows I know how this will turn out! What...audacity!_ she thought, and then burst into laughter. 'Audacious' was certainly the word for him.

_"Tsumi!"_

She looked up. Cool rain fell on her face; her hair was drenched. She searched this way and that for the person who had cried out to her, but no one was there.

_"Tsumi! Tsumi..."_

Tsumi shook her head. _This storm is getting to me – I'm hearing things_. She turned around then, and followed the stream up the hill.

oOo

"_Tsumi_! Damn it!" InuYasha pounded his fists against the barrier, ignoring the shock that coursed through him. "Why can't she hear me? Why can't she _see _me?" He watched her walk away, seeming to vanish into thin air after a certain point. _This barrier_, he thought, _it creates an illusion!_ _That means Sesshomaru's probably up there, too!_ He'd smelled her thick, changed scent as well as blood – a _lot _of it. Panicking, he charged again at the barrier, this time with Tetsusaiga. Just as before, he was unsuccessful, falling onto his back in pain and frustration.

"You cannot break that barrier, InuYasha." Kikyo emerged from the shadows then, and InuYasha was glad for the rain, as it camouflaged his tears.

"Doncha' think I know that, already?" he barked, clenching Tetsusaiga's hilt, standing to try again.

"Then why do you continue this futile onslaught?" she asked.

"'Cause I gotta' keep trying, for Tsumi." Again, he threw himself at the barrier, and again, he was negated. This time, he landed on his feet, and he tightened his grip on his sword.

"I thought I told you, Sesshomaru is not your target." Kikyo's level voice carried through the rain. She saw one of InuYasha's ears twitch in acknowledgment, but he otherwise disregarded her warning, preparing to repeat his attack from another angle. As a last resort, Kikyo decided to do the thing she least wanted to do: she would have to _hurt_ InuYasha. "Why do you continue?" she asked again, this time putting an edge in her voice. "When you know it is useless, when you don't even _want_ to save the girl?"

This stopped InuYasha in his tracks. He froze, clenching Tetsusaiga so hard that a cramp was burgeoning in his hand. "Wh-what do you mean?" he stuttered. "Of _course_ I wanna' save Tsumi."

Kikyo dared to come closer, her face hardened while her heart ached for what she was about to do. _But I _must _sway InuYasha_, she thought. "No, you do not. You care nothing for Tsumi, InuYasha. What you feel for her is not concern, but _guilt_."

The words stabbed painfully at InuYasha's pride, and underneath that, his heart. "That's – not – true!" he growled.

"Isn't it?" It pained her deeply to act like this to him, but it was necessary to save the girl – and to stop Naraku. "The guilt that drives you to save Tsumi is the same guilt you bear over my death, is it not?" She waited, but he did not answer. "You cannot save her, just as you couldn't save me. If you rescue her, you save only your pride – little more."

This time, InuYasha turned to face her. His eyes were narrowed and his hands were shaking, causing Tetsusaiga to shudder in anger. It looked for a moment as if he might try to face off with Kikyo. "I don't give a _damn_ about that," he spat. "I know what I can and can't do, Kikyo! I know I couldn't save you! But I _won't_ let that happen to Tsumi, and it ain't out of guilt, either!"

Kikyo gazed intently at him through the downpour. Lightening flashed overhead, accompanied by a roiling knot of thunder. "But _you _were the one who did not wish to escort her in the first place," she pointed out. "What has changed? What connection can you say you've established with the girl?"

Her words sank through his skin and weighed on his bones. What _was _his connection to Tsumi? What was his motivation? The answer wasn't what Kikyo thought it was, but neither was it very appealing. It burdened him with shame to accept it. Without realizing it, he let Tetsusaiga fall, still clinging to it as the blade sank into the wet dirt. His shoulders bowed and his tears renewed themselves, coalescing with the fresh rain on his cheeks.

Seeing how he had calmed down, Kikyo approached him now. She placed a cold hand on his shaking shoulder. "Even if you _did_ manage to break through this barrier, and even if you _did_ defeat Sesshomaru, we both know it will not save Tsumi." She let him breathe all of this in before saying, "Naraku will still come for her."

Lightening flashed. InuYasha gathered himself together and shrugged Kikyo's hand away. Panting in the rain, it all knitted itself together for him: Kohaku, and the Saimyosho...and now Kikyo... "It was Kagura," he whispered. "She asked you to warn me, didn't she?" He thought of what fate might befall the wind sorceress if Naraku found her out, and he cringed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kikyo nod. He sheathed Tetsusaiga then, and walked away, but not before pausing to say, "Thank you."

He ran then, bounding through the trees as fast as he could to find his way back to Sango, Miroku, Kagome and Shippo. He had to tell them, had to convince them. _We were right, though_, he thought, ducking around branches and roots, _Tsumi is supposed to become a puppet – just not Sesshomaru's_ _puppet. _Under the cover of the canopy, he was less inhibited by the rain; his vision had mostly cleared, save for a few stray tears. He wiped them away, telling himself not to cry. But he was so angry with himself! _Kikyo was half right_, he thought shamefully. _My reasons...they were wrong. I let my grudge with Sesshomaru overrule reason, and now we've wasted time when we could've stopped Naraku _and _saved Tsumi!_ He thought back to the day they had lost her; how his first instincts had told him to move on to Naraku, but the moment he'd smelled Sesshomaru's scent... _Damn it!_

He found his friends taking shelter under the eaves of a large tree; Kagome and Sango were huddled under a gargantuan, offensively yellow umbrella while Miroku made due with what was afforded him by the tree.

"You're back," Kagome noted, surprised. She had gotten used to InuYasha's absences lasting late into the night, obstinate as he was.

"Guess he couldn't break the barrier, just like yesterday," said Shippo. "And the day before yesterday, and the day before that –"

"Shut it, Shippo!" He shook a finger at the kitsune, spraying him – and the girls – with water. Ignoring their protests, he began trying to persuade them to abandon the original plan and to go after Naraku. He wanted to avoid bringing Kikyo into this though, if he could help it – he knew how touchy Kagome was about that. "We have to turn around!" he urged them, "if we wanna' save Tsumi, we gotta' find Naraku!"

He was met, of course, with unanimous objection.

"InuYasha, _you're _the one who didn't want to listen to Kikyo in the first place," Kagome yelled over the rain.

"Yeah," added Shippo, "why change your mind, now? Or are you just getting tired of chasing after Tsumi?" He turned to Kagome. "I bet InuYasha just wants to get back to hunting for the Jewel shards!"

"That's not it at all!" InuYasha felt very hurt by this accusation after enduring the berating he'd received from Kikyo, but he couldn't just say that outright. "I've just...changed my mind!"

"I bet you have," Shippo crossed his little arms.

"Why _you_ –"

"InuYasha," Miroku interjected on Shippo's behalf, "why don't you tell us _why _you've had this change of heart? Perhaps then we could reach a more informed decision." The monk was glad when his suggestion stopped his hanyou friend from wringing Shippo's neck.

Posed with this new challenge, InuYasha took a moment to consider his best argument. "Well, we were right about Tsumi. She is gonna' get possessed, that much is for sure," he conceded. "But the thing is, we're after the wrong guy. Naraku's the one who wants her! And even if we get a hold of her from Sesshomaru," he echoed Kikyo's logic, "Naraku will just come after her by himself."

"I'm sorry, InuYasha," Miroku bowed his head contritely, "but I don't think that's so. Our theory about Sesshomaru just fits too perfectly."

"Besides," Sango added, "why would Sesshomaru ever agree to do someone else's bidding? Isn't he too high-and-mighty for that?"

"Furthermore, if Naraku wants Tsumi so bad, he could have just taken her on his own to begin with," Miroku finished thoughtfully. "Why send Sesshomaru?"

Frustrated, InuYasha huffed. "It's _Naraku_, guys, or have you forgotten? He _loves_ playing with peoples' emotions! He knows involving Sesshomaru is a sure-fire way to get to me!"

While Kagome and Shippo were beginning to look convinced, Miroku was still shaking his head. "No. That still does not explain why Sesshomaru would agree to aid Naraku – especially after all the rotten betrayals Naraku has dealt him in the past." He stared off into the direction from which InuYasha had come. "And sitting here arguing about it just wastes time we could use to save Tsumi from your brother.'"

"Don't you get it?" InuYasha yelled. "I saw her, Miroku! I saw Tsumi through the barrier, and she definitely ain't possessed!" To deter further debate, he failed to mention the thick smell of blood that had surrounded her. "He's had..." he ticked the days off on his fingers, "three weeks to get the job done, and obviously, she's still herself! We were wrong about Sesshomaru! If he wanted to use her to get at Tetsusaiga, why didn't she just come at me when I saw her, huh?" He also failed to mention that she probably couldn't see him through the barrier, its strength considered. But he knew he was right. He _knew_.

To disperse the tension, Kagome suggested, "We could split up: some of us could stay here and search for a way to get to Tsumi while the rest of us track down Naraku?"

"No," Sango shook her head. "There's no way we could defeat Naraku while our numbers are down, and the only person who I really trust to defeat Sesshomaru is InuYasha," she nodded at him. "And you want to go after Naraku, don't you?"

InuYasha nodded.

There was heavy silence for a time, broken only by the ongoing rainfall and the occasional claps of thunder. At last, Kagome said, "Well then, let's take a vote. Majority decides whether we stay or go."

"Sounds reasonable enough," agreed Miroku.

"Oh, alright," InuYasha allowed, "but Shippo doesn't get to vote, on account of how little and useless he is!"

"That's not fair, InuYasha!" Kagome coddled the fox child, who was squirming to get free in order to attack the hanyou. "Shippo _will_ vote and it _will_ count, because he cares about Tsumi, too."

"More than _you_ do, InuYasha," Shippo insisted, finally freeing himself from Kagome's grasp.

Before InuYasha could react, Miroku instated the first vote. "I say, we stay and continue tracking down Tsumi."

Next, Kagome voted. "I'm with InuYasha," she decided, "we go and find Naraku."

Sango voted with Miroku, and InuYasha was obviously in favor of leaving. So, it all came down to Shippo. The kit hadn't expected the decision to be on him, and now that it was, he regretted fighting for his right to vote.

_ Oh man_, thought Shippo, _being the tie-breaker sure is difficult!_ He weighed the arguments in his head, and eventually concluded that if they took down Naraku, at least then they wouldn't have to worry about that in the future, as well as getting their friend back – because honestly, what reason would Sesshomaru have to keep her hanging around if Naraku was defeated? And of course, the more time they wasted here, the more likely Naraku was to take Tsumi from Sesshomaru and damage her beyond repair. "Okay, fine. I'm say...I say we leave! I say we find Naraku!"

InuYasha smiled. "Well gee, I guess I'm glad your vote counted after all."

"I'm not so useless, _huh_ InuYasha!"

"Nah," he smacked Shippo hard in the back of the head. "You're _still_ pretty useless."

"Hey!" Shippo yelled, rubbing the lump on his head, "Watch it, or I'll change my mind!"

"Too late, vote's over."

"Stop wasting time arguing, you two." Sango hauled Shippo into her lap while she got on Kirara. "We'd better change direction now and hurry – even through this storm. We'll need to stop in the village to stock up if we're planning to face Naraku."

From her place amongst the trees, Kikyo watched the group of friends as they left, bantering with one another, exchanging ideas on how to locate and kill Naraku. She sighed in relief, clutching her chest. _It was smart of you, InuYasha, to use my words, even though I hurt you_. Her thoughts turned then to Tsumi, and to Sesshomaru. _Eventually, that barrier will break. And if InuYasha interrupted what transpires between his brother and the girl..._ Kikyo shook her head ruefully. _The last thing it would do is save her life_.

oOo

The tiny Kikyo of the mirror faded out of the frame, and the vision gave way to InuYasha, leading his friends away from Sesshomaru – away from where Naraku needed him to be. _Damn that wench!_ he thought, smashing his porcelain cup on the floor, its acrid contents spilling into a toxic puddle. Kanna stepped calmly back to avoid it. _That Kikyo...if only I could kill her!_ But inside him, there was a painful objection, for Onigumo's heart had been given too much time to capitalize on the old feelings it harbored for the dead priestess. What once had been consuming, detestable lust had slowly germinated into a deeper feeling – one unfortunately shared by Naraku, as he played host to the parasite. _When I finally have possession of that girl_, he thought, _I will dispose of this wretched heart, and then, I will be free to vanquish Kikyo at last! _

But, there was still the problem of InuYasha.

_Very well_, thought Naraku, _if he will not go to Sesshomaru, then I shall bring Sesshomaru to him. It's a pity, though_, he lamented, _I should have liked to see InuYasha be deposed by his own sword, and by extension – through Sesshomaru's restored arm – my own hand. Ah well. Such is life._

"Kanna."

"Yes?"

"Show me the girl."

With a short nod, Kanna concentrated on her mirror, bringing Tsumi into view. The girl looked haggard, her hair undone in its tie; she was half-dressed and walked with a slight hobble. For a second, Naraku wondered if he ought to send Kagura for her, but then decided against it.

_If I take her from him now, I will have no reason to send Sesshomaru out, and he will not deliver my last blow. It seems I am being challenged. _He continued to observe Tsumi through Kanna's mirror. She was entering an enclosed space – some room – and had found what looked to be a large bouquet of yellow flowers. _Camellia_, he observed, and began to chuckle. _My, my, Sesshomaru_.

In her wispy voice, Kanna repeated what she had told Kagura: "As one vine sprouts, the other recedes."

"Indeed." The real meaning of this cryptic warning sailed right over Naraku's head, amused as he was by what he was witnessing. _It will be fun to see Sesshomaru again, faced with the full payment of this trade he has agreed to, now that he is falling in love_, he thought. _And with a human, no less!_

Inside, Onigumo's heart choked back Naraku's laughter, and it pounded painfully behind his sternum, a warning. _If you choose to play with others like this, Naraku_, it spoke to him, as it sometimes did, _you will come to regret it, for this will ultimately be your undoing_.

Naraku clenched his teeth and stood abruptly, silencing the thing. _I grow bored of your chatter_, he answered it. _Soon, you and I shall be separated – we'll see then, who is undone_. "Kanna, I want you to go to Sesshomaru. Give him my orders that there has been a change in plans: he is to bring Tsumi to me, here, and he is to travel on foot." The timing was all wrong, but what must be done would be done. "And Kanna, I want you to go alone."

Silently, Kanna exited the room and began her solitary journey, leaving Naraku to pace up and down the length of the room. To calm his nerves, he made a visit to Sesshomaru's replacement arm; it was growing steadily now, bones and muscle being fleshed out, while the growing skin was coloring quite nicely. He still needed time, though, and hopefully Kanna would deliver him that.

Behind him, Kagura peeked around the edge of the trap door that led beneath the castle. She almost couldn't believe her eyes. Nestled in the bed of squirming demon parts was an arm – a slender arm, a familiar arm. With its magenta stripes and opaque claws, it was a twin to Sesshomaru's right limb. _So Naraku_, she thought, _this is what you have promised him in return. Does he know at what price this reward shall be given?_ she wondered. _I should warn him_.

"You will _not_." Naraku's voice echoed menacingly around the room, and before she knew which way was up or down, Kagura found herself in his clutches, bound inside the tight grip of a tentacle. "You know too much, Kagura. I let you off the hook quite a few times, yet still you insist on defying me." He brought her around to face him, their eyes meeting in a crimson stalemate. "It would seem that I must punish you into silence."

The breath caught in Kagura's throat, and she only wished that she could pass out into oblivion.

* * *

><p>I'm glad to hear you're enjoying this so far, dear readers! As always, I love to hear from you :3<p> 


	10. Ten: Of A Separate Character

_Of A Separate Character_

Thinking of the Tsumi he'd seen behind Sesshomaru's barrier, InuYasha cringed. Compared to the girl he'd met in that ramshackle village, she was nearly a ghost. Maybe it had been the cast of the weather, but her eyes, though sometimes tired and sad, now looked just plain empty; her overlarge kimono had been replaced, and her movement in this new one had looked restricted and uncharacteristic – she had grace, now, but it was born of confinement and discomfort.

"What are you thinking about?" Kagome's voice took a moment or two to break InuYasha out of his thoughts.

"Nothing," he murmured, feeling fatigued for the first time in a while. But in his peripheral vision, he saw Kagome fix him with a knowing stare, so he relented. "I was just thinking about Tsumi, and how much she's changed."

"What do you mean?" Kagome inquired. She had noticed some change in InuYasha, as well.

"I don't really know how to describe it," he said, reluctant. It was tough, picking and choosing what particulars to unveil. "When I saw her, she just looked so...exhausted, and sad." Swiveling his eyes around a little, he noticed that Shippo was listening in on their conversation. "She smelled different, too."

"How can a person change their smell?" asked the kitsune, giving himself away.

"I don't know!" InuYasha snapped. "But before, she smelled all mild, and when I ran into her at the base of Sesshomaru's barrier, she smelled...like, like burnt firewood, or an oncoming storm." He knew these comparisons were all but useless to his human companions, but Shippo would understand what he was getting at. Again, he left out the lingering aroma of blood. _This new smell, though_, he thought to himself, _it's kinda' nice..._

"That's not normal," Shippo said, crossing his arms. "Scent is the thing that tells us who we are!" he declared.

Miroku, who had been listening diligently to each and every detail, decided to put his two cents in for consideration. "If Shippo speaks the truth, that signifies a change in Tsumi's very person," he said tellingly. Clearly, he was still clinging to the Tetsusaiga-Puppet theory. "When we were searching for her, I noticed that her pure aura was weakening. To me, that suggests –"

"We didn't make a mistake, okay?" InuYasha interrupted.

"I don't know, InuYasha. I still feel bad about this – I feel like we've abandoned Tsumi." Sango bored into him with her steady gaze.

"Look, I don't exactly like the idea of leaving her with Sesshomaru, but we made the right decision. Taking down Naraku is the best way to ensure everybody's safety." While everyone grumbled amongst themselves, InuYasha admitted abjectly to himself that it would eventually come back to Kikyo. _If I want them to believe that I know what I'm talking about, I'll have to tell them what she told me – and that she's the one who told me._ This thought was not an appealing one.

That night, as a small dinner of even smaller fish roasted under an open sky, InuYasha decided it was time. Gathering all his courage, he cleared his throat with a barking cough and said, "I know Naraku is the one going after Tsumi. He wants to use her, and he's using Sesshomaru, too. In the end, he'll use Tsumi to try and kill us off, and I don't like the outcome of that no matter how you look at it." When he looked up, InuYasha was met with four pairs of wide eyes; they weren't used to him being serious like this. "And I know it's true, because Kikyo told me everything."

There was a diminutive gasp to his left, and Kagome grabbed his arm. "But InuYasha! How can you trust Kikyo?" she asked. There was no bitterness in her voice, but her eyes were growing watery. When InuYasha didn't answer, looking confused, she elaborated, "How can you trust her about this when she doesn't know anything about Tsumi?"

He sighed with relief: her worries weren't what he'd dreaded they were. "She seemed to know a lot, actually." He really hated that the one thing he _couldn't _admit was that Kikyo had gotten her information from Kagura – trying to explain his way out of _that _would take more time and patience than he really had.

"That's more worrisome than it is reassuring, InuYasha." Miroku's eyes were narrowed and his face was hardened in the firelight. _I can't believe he would keep this from us!_ he thought angrily. "The fact that she appeared to know so much is troublesome – what are her sources? Certainly not us. What are her motives?"

Beside him, Sango nodded slowly. "I don't like it much, either," she said. Of course, her memories of Kikyo being what they were, how could she?

"Not for the first time, I'll say that I think Kikyo is working against us," Miroku stated solemnly.

"_No_!" InuYasha got to his feet and leaned over the fire at Miroku, who showed no sign of fear. "Kikyo would _never_, _ever_ endanger someone in Tsumi's position!" he growled, claws gleaming menacingly over the crackling flames. "Kikyo may not be on our side, who knows? But she sure as hell is on Tsumi's side!"

"And what makes you so certain?" Miroku asked calmly. He didn't much care for the hole he'd just dug for himself and didn't enjoy the idea of being on the receiving end of InuYasha's claws. But he _had_ to make sure it wasn't his friend's bias talking.

"Because Kikyo was in a similar position when – when –!" InuYasha couldn't bear to say it. His mind's eye was flooded with memories of Kikyo as she had been then, of the hopeful woman he had once known, and yet of her somber heart, so weighed down by its own purpose. Just then, he was pulled to the ground by two caring, soft hands; he found himself in Kagome's arms, simultaneously comforted and subdued. He glared at Miroku from under his silver fringe. "We're doing right by Tsumi by hunting down that bastard, Naraku," he asserted. "That's that."

With InuYasha shaking in her arms, Kagome had his words on repeat in her head. _He sees them in a similar light_, she thought, _Kikyo and Tsumi...what does that mean?_

oOo_  
><em>

Kanna had wandered around the perimeter of Sesshomaru's barrier long enough. She could sense the dead priestess in the shadows nearby, but there was no threat. _And if one should arise_, she thought dispassionately, _I will be ready_. In her hands, she caressed her precious mirror; it seemed to gleam happily back at her.

From her place in the trees, Kikyo had observed Naraku's most mysterious incarnation for a day and a half. Now, here they both were, back to the beginning – for Kikyo – and hopefully, at the end – for Kanna. Kikyo watched intently as the pale, silent girl roamed around the barrier's edge, cocking her head this way and that, observing.

_She is trying to find a way through it_, thought the priestess. Overhead, her soul collectors loomed, restless and wary. _Is she here to collect the girl?_ _Why doesn't Sesshomaru let her pass through?_ There were numerous implications to this, but one in particular struck Kikyo as painfully, hilariously ironic. _Perhaps he will only allow her to be pried away once he takes her for himself_, she theorized, _which would render her useless to Naraku. Does he know?_

She watched as Kanna tried to enter the barrier. Unlike InuYasha, she was not thrown backwards, but rather, she pulled her hand back sharply. She didn't cry out, but watched as her palm smoldered for a moment before returning to normal.

Satisfied, Kikyo turned and began to walk away. Gradually, her soul collectors gathered around her once more, fulfilling their duty. _My part here is done_, she decided. _Do what you will, Sesshomaru_.

Meanwhile, Kanna stood still before the singing barrier; its light ebbed and surged alternatively. She glanced at her singed hand. The burn was already beginning to fade, and yet... _Demonic energy does not manifest in this way_, she reasoned, studying the obstacle quietly. _If InuYasha's Tetsusaiga could not diminish this barrier_, _then it belongs not to Sesshomaru_, she realized, _but to Tsumi_.

So Sesshomaru was drawing on Tsumi's own power, was he? What a mistake. Kanna reviewed the visions she had seen in her mirror: so often was Sesshomaru degrading himself before the human girl that any day now, he was sure to shatter the one thing delaying his own progress. _These demons_, thought Kanna, reminded of Sesshomaru, and of Naraku and Kagura, and even InuYasha, _so intent are they on the smallest of their hearts' desires that they are willing to destroy themselves_. This of course, was none of her concern. Reaching out once more, she passed her hand through the barrier like one might play in an ocean wave. This time, she managed to get an entire forearm through before the heat became too much to bear, and she pulled back. _The texture is softening_, she noted, and the sound that the barrier emitted was less clear – more of a buzzing hum. _This barrier is weakening. It won't be long, now_.

And so that was how Kanna came to settle in the grass at the base of the hill, to wait.

oOo

The dry, withered petals stared back at her, unshaken. The cactus flower had stayed in its place: on her vanity, where she had left it. It had originally come to her, cradled amongst a large bouquet of camellia. This display inspired both awe and disgust.

_ At least he is honest_, she thought, _if not preposterously forward_.

But it was more complicated than that. It was only too easy to be disgusted with Sesshomaru: his behavior, his obvious contradictions, and above all, his _arrogance_ were things that grated on Tsumi. But there was something deeper and closer that clawed at her insides: disgust for herself, as it would be a lie to say Sesshomaru's favors weren't received with a degree of flattery and – worst of all – compensation, however private.

_What have I become, but a lowly hypocrite?_ she thought. _How can I stand to entertain these...these fantasies!_

Could it not be said that, buried beneath her anger, there was another kind of flame? Anger, after all, was something she had allowed to slip between the cracks from time to time, but this _other_ heat...this noxious, toxic smoke that coursed through her veins whenever her thoughts turned to Sesshomaru – whenever she was in his presence...it was worst when she heard his voice. That cool, cunning voice ignited forest fires within her now, to her own despair and shame.

_It might be difficult to say yes_, she thought, _but it is getting even more difficult to say no_. But she must persevere! There was no way she could allow herself to be dragged in by that cruel, malevolent, _terrible_...

Her door slid open, and in came Rin, arms cradling the Chinou cups. Tsumi could hear the stones rattling around inside. Rin discarded the cups on the floor and sat at Tsumi's side. She watched with baleful eyes as Tsumi tried to bury her glare and failed.

"I don't understand..." murmured the child. "What is it that you hate about Lord Sesshomaru, Tsumi-san? I don't understand. He is so kind and patient with you, and yet the two of you are always fighting." Rin's eyes were wet and it hurt Tsumi to see her little friend so distressed. She tried to pat Rin's hair, but the girl flinched away from her. "He goes out of his way for you, Tsumi-san, you know?"

Tsumi sat back on her haunches and chewed the inside of her cheek. What cold she say? How was she supposed to supply Rin with the answer she desired? How was she to explain to Sesshomaru's loyal charge that his reasons for caring for _Tsumi_ were different? That, equally as distasteful, he was trying to seduce her, and yet with every intention of making good on his awful bargain with Naraku? No, these things could not and would not be said to Rin.

She shrugged. "Sesshomaru-sama and I disagree on a lot of things," she stated evenly.

But Rin could see the hateful glint in Tsumi's eyes still, and she did not like it. "That's too bad, Tsumi-san," she said, "because I think Lord Sesshomaru cares about you, even when he disagrees with you." She crossed her arms and turned her face away, turning red. Perhaps, she had just given away something that wasn't hers to give.

The thought stirred all new feelings around in Tsumi's gut, but it was easiest to concentrate on anger. She turned her gaze back on the belligerent flower, which now seemed to taunt her from its spot. It hatefully reminded her of the nights she spent awake, fantasizing about Sesshomaru as much as she reviled him. "If you don't mind, Rin," she said gently, "I'd like to be alone for a while."

Huffing, Rin left, leaving the cups and scattered stones behind.

Outside, Jaken was dutifully presenting Sesshomaru with the order from the demon smith. "Here you are, my lord," he handed the box, wrapped in its yellow sash to his master. "Just as you requested." The imp watched as Sesshomaru undid the graceful bow, the silk falling in a suspended waterfall over his open palm. He lifted the lid and examined the piece: the delicate gold chain glistened in the sunlight, its clasp perfect and round. Sesshomaru brushed the dainty thing with his thumb, careful to use the utmost tenderness. In the lid of the square box, there was a hidden compartment, which when slid upward revealed the charm – a small, blue crescent, attachable to the chain at the owners' whim.

"This satisfies me, Jaken," he said, closing the box and tying up the sash. It took all of Jaken's willpower not to scoff at the loaded remark. "Do not lose this."

The kappa was unpleasantly surprised at finding the box being pushed back into his hands, and more so by his instructions, for losing it was exactly what he had intended to do. "But, my lord –!" he objected.

"None of that, Jaken," he chided evenly. "Not now."

Jaken squirmed at the unpleasantness of it all. "Oh, why did you have to go and have your family mark forged into a charm as well?" he demanded, practically jumping up and down on the spot.

Sesshomaru reached out a hand and swatted Jaken to the ground, where he remained. "I had it made purely out of propriety," he told his servant. "How would it look to have the chain made without the usual intended promise? I don't need word getting around, now, do I."

Despite its rhetorical nature, Jaken had an answer. "Perhaps you had it made out of precaution, rather than propriety."

Sesshomaru frowned at the imp, silencing him. "That's enough out of you for one day, Jaken." He stood then, and produced a large, cloth parcel from the depths of his haori. Jaken watched him enter the house, shaking his head in silent misery.

Tsumi's door was not closed all the way, and this time, Sesshomaru did not hesitate. "How are you feeling?" he asked her, though the answer wasn't terribly important. He sniffed the air tenuously. _No more blood_, he noticed.

As if to accentuate this point, Tsumi sat on the floor and in full dress. Her face was painted with so many feelings unspoken; she refused to meet his gaze, still fuming from her first disagreement with Rin. More meaningfully, she did not give him an answer, other than to turn her back on him.

This was a mistake. Setting his parcel on the floor, he turned around deftly and slid her door shut, not quite slamming it but not simply closing it either. When he turned around again, Tsumi was staring at him wide-eyed, trying to gage what would happen next. "It would seem I have your attention, now," he said without fuss. "You are incredibly rude."

Tsumi's eyes narrowed now. Gathering up her kimono, she stood as ungracefully as was humanly possible, bunching the fabric around herself defensively. She glowered at Sesshomaru. "_I'm_ rude?" she spat. "_I'm _the rude one? _You're rude_," she accused, pointing, "not only for kidnapping me, but for trying to woo me with your _gifts_ under the circumstances!"

Still maintaining his cool, Sesshomaru glided toward her, stopping mere inches away. "You should be grateful," he told her, "in fact, you should be _honored_ that I can even get past how human you are. You are beneath me, Tsumi. Far, far beneath me."

Her cheeks were blossoming ugly red patches and her eyes seethed with the anger that had been suppressed for nineteen years. "I suppose," she snapped, "you believe I ought to feel indebted to you, then!" Yet even now, all that anger could not disguise what other yearnings lay untouched. It showed all over her face, in the way her eyes searched him up and down, in the way her hands trembled, fighting with one another as to what to do first: throw a punch or stroke his face.

Sesshomaru took this into consideration before saying, quite bluntly, "I do." The sheer scale of his nerve had reduced her to shocked, ashy silence. "I have clothed you in fabrics your station doesn't deserve; I have fed you proper food at the expense of my dignity; I have provided you with a human dwelling instead of forcing you to sleep outside, instead of making you endure the elements and constant travel I am accustomed to." He felt a satisfying lurch inside his gut at the sight of her stricken face. "I have even gone so far as to offer you my company, when it would be so much easier to ignore you. And despite all of this, you still believe that you _aren't_ indebted to me." He could feel an avalanche of criticism pushing its way through his throat, and now that he had started, he wasn't sure he could stop. "Tell me, Tsumi, what you did with your pathetic life before all of this."

She didn't answer him, not out of defiance, but of inability.

"You did nothing. You caged yourself in, making yourself miserable and unattainable by cowering from the pain of human desire."

"What are you talking about?" Tsumi's words had suddenly come back to her, awakened by his accusations. "What do you mean, 'I caged myself in'?"

Sesshomaru had hoped it wouldn't come to this, that she would realize it on her own, but it would seem that he would have to be the bearer of bad news. _No matter_, he thought, waving it off. "Did you truly believe that you were absolutely pure, like some devout miko or pristine spirit? Perhaps the time for entertaining such ridiculous imaginings is over." He grabbed her wrists in his as he had the night she'd attacked him, bringing his face as close to hers as possible. "Everybody is born 'pure.' But haven't you ever wondered why infants will cry on end, seemingly without reason? It is because as children, we must learn to accept the pain of what we want, what we hate, what we _need_." His hot breath ghosted over her face and his grip tightened around her fragile wrists. "You avoided that pain. You were _terrified of it_," he told her. "You shied away from that acceptance, and as a result, everything you could have had in life was pushed outward. Every loss you have suffered, every night of loneliness, every hurtful allegation – it's all your own fault. That's the price we pay for cowardice."

"But," she tried, her voice breaking. _If he's right_, she thought, _then...then...no! He can't be right! He just can't be!_

"At least now, you can do something with yourself." He threw her back, and she stumbled onto the bed. "Thanks to me, you've been given another chance." It was his turn now, to turn his back on her. They stood in mutual silence, frozen while this heavy weight of horror settled onto Tsumi's shoulders.

_Everything is my fault_...

"These," Sesshomaru nudged the cloth parcel with a booted foot. "These are for you. Another gift." He spared her a glance over his shoulder: she looked broken and weepy. "They're good whether you're alone," he paused, "or with company."

She watched him walk away, his mokomoko sweeping behind him and disappearing around the corner. Forcing back her tears, she knelt on the floor in front of the gift and began undoing the neat knot of fabric. There was a jumbled mass of vials and casks, all of different colors and shapes. She picked one up and unstoppered it, inhaling the sweet scent that drifted into her nose. It was provocative and potent – she couldn't put a name to it. She sloshed the liquid around inside, and then finally realized that what he had given her was soap.

Haphazardly, she wrapped the soaps back up and dumped them onto the vanity with the dried up cactus flower. _Or with company_, she groused, crossing her arms.

* * *

><p>Comments and feedback are always welcome, lovely readers.<p> 


	11. Eleven: Paper Thin

_Paper Thin_

The late August moon, gorged and luminous, pushed its beams through the night, casting odd shadows in even odder places. Tsumi paced her room, hidden amongst these shadows, unable to sleep. The sweet air was hard to appreciate when it only exacerbated the wild hysteria that was tearing around her chest, running rampant through her veins. _I thought this was over_, she thought, fingers instinctively clutching her naval, where hot pain mounted. _Why does it still hurt?_ To distract herself, Tsumi knelt at her vanity, examining the various cracks and nicks and stains that marred the mirror; thin tendrils of moonlight were spattered over the glass like ethereal spider webs.

Restless, Tsumi started pawing through the mostly empty drawers, not hoping for anything in particular. In her inventory, she glimpsed the shiny box that housed the jadeite comb and her stomach lurched. She slammed the drawer shut.

_He hasn't spoken to me – hasn't even looked at me since our last argument_. Her belly churned and the pain beneath her gut was overwhelmed by a pain in her chest, which blossomed like an unruly summer rose; its thorns pushed outward, scarring her sternum, pressing in on her ribs. _Why do I care?_ For care she did, more than she'd ever admit. That he had managed to avoid her in such close quarters stung.

But tonight, when she turned her gaze out the window, Sesshomaru could be seen, still and stone-like, eyes fixed on some foreign constellation. His long, white tresses fluttered in the breeze, and his musky smell wafted into Tsumi's room, enshrouding her. She inhaled, wavering for just a moment before fully admitting defeat.

_I want you_, she thought, looking at him. As if he could hear her, he shifted slightly, almost as if to accommodate her desire. Inside her, the budding rosebush pulled back, having been ruthlessly clipped by her admission. The aching fire beneath _that_, however... Accepting her fate, Tsumi rummaged through the parcel of soaps, selecting a few at random and stowing them in her kimono. Nearby, the cactus flower was almost completely shriveled. It challenged her. _I won't end up like you_, she told it.

Sesshomaru wasn't so deep in thought; he was being evasive, avoiding meeting her gaze at all costs – but not so much that he didn't sneak a glance, once or twice when he thought she wasn't looking. He resembled a specter in this light, coddled between the stark foil of sharp, bruised shadows and soft, pale moonlight. His features, usually so angular, appeared delicate and diluted; his eyes were heavy with something Tsumi was too young, too ignorant to identify – and yet, their golden irises smoldered, rabid and ominous.

In her best imitation of respect, Tsumi sat – horselike – on the ground before Sesshomaru. She even forced out a sad, short little bow, but made no comment. When she looked up again, his eyes were still trained upward, and his countenance didn't suggest he even knew she was there. _He really is angry with me_, she thought, and was surprised at the chills of fear and hurt that ran side by side down her spine.

"You were right." Her voice dissipated into the depths of the night, ignored. "I have been..." she struggled, "_ungrateful_. And, and I have been avoiding pain. And I know I once said that pain prevented me from being human, but...but maybe, maybe _not_ facing the pain is what prevented me from being human. I...I _am_ afraid."

At last, Sesshomaru's eyes fell on her; he studied her, stoic, objective. His mouth was down-turned at the corners. "Are you afraid of enjoying a demon?" He posed it like a friendly inquiry. _I have been afraid before_, he admitted silently, hating himself for it, _afraid that I might enjoy a human_.

Without words, Tsumi answered him by scooting forward in the cool grass.

Sesshomaru reached out toward her, slowly allowing his hand to fall on her cheek where he caressed the scar he'd given her. It would likely never heal. A moment passed between them, disconnected from time and space, and he decided he didn't have any patience left. He pulled her into his arms, pressing the injured side of her face into his palm and put his lips over hers. It was a chaste kiss, but it was no less passionate. Tsumi's eyes flew open, her lashes tickling Sesshomaru's cheeks. He could feel her heartbeat thudding against his chest, and whether she knew it or not, Tsumi's fingers had tangled themselves up in his hair. Her grip had loosened some with the end of their kiss, but remained entwined in the snowy strands. She turned her head away from him, blush growing brighter when a cask of soap fell onto the ground.

Sesshomaru picked it up, examining it, amused.

"You said, with company..." she mumbled, cheeks glowing.

Taking her face in both his hands and forcing her to face him, Sesshomaru asked, "Do you want my company?" He searched her face for fear, but found only indecision: her eyes flickered back and forth across his face, flitting over his stare as she bit her bottom lip. At length, she nodded, but this was not good enough. He pulled her closer and said, "You must state what you want out loud."

"I want your company, Sesshomaru." She made as if to kiss him again, but he pushed her away, standing up, leaving her on the ground.

"Go ahead of me," he nodded vaguely toward the wood. "Go," he enforced when she hesitated. He watched her move though the dark for a moment before slipping inside the house. Like a ghost, he moved silently through the singular hall, into her room. Time felt frozen as he knelt before her vanity. His flowers lay on the floor, dried and drained of color; the moonlight illuminated the lacquered box that held the comb, sitting inside an open drawer. Holding it in his palm, Sesshomaru could see that she had been fussing over it, fingers irresolute.

Tucking it inside his haori, he turned to leave, but was stopped in his tracks when he saw something familiar, something yellow poking out of Tsumi's sheets. Half-buried under her pillow was the bit of sash he'd used to wrap up the comb. Sesshomaru permitted himself a smile – a real smile, with teeth. It was small, but it was the closest he might ever come to a grin.

Tsumi was already in the water when she heard Sesshomaru enter the clearing. She was glad for the heat of the spring, hoping it would excuse the color that blotched her face. It had been one thing to think about doing this, to seriously consider it, and even to consent to it. But now, faced with Sesshomaru – a demon, her captor – she was having reservations.

_I'm already here, though_, she thought, steeling her resolve. _I may not have time to finish whatever I've started, if I don't act now_.

"You seem tense," he mentioned offhandedly, beginning to slip shamelessly out of his clothes. Tsumi was taken aback by his complete lack of modesty, but couldn't bring herself to look away. He was stunning: so used to the usual bulk of silk, it was unsettling and just seeing a bare shoulder. "Are you having second thoughts?"

"No," she answered, too quickly, turning another shade of scarlet. Sesshomaru wasn't even turning his back on her, just letting his hakama drop about his ankles as if it were nothing. She continued to gawk like an idiot.

He was smiling. Now that he had immersed himself in the steaming pool, Tsumi was able to focus on his face again. If she tried to separate her feelings, and then bury all her ill will, she could admit that it was a lovely face: his high cheekbones were finely shaped, and his nose was straight and slight without being delicate. And _that smile_... "Very satisfied with yourself, aren't you?" she crossed her arms, water sloshing along them.

"More or less," he said, submerging himself completely. A tingle of the likes she had never felt bolted up Tsumi's spine; her stomach churned with nerves. Sesshomaru broke the surface only a few inches from her, leaving her untouched. Seeing the frantic anxiety all across her face, Sesshomaru couldn't quell the sense of pride that was boiling around in his belly.

His long tresses dripped, clinging to his neck and shoulders, a few stray pieces idling along his cheeks. Tsumi approached him timidly. The moon was obscured by the tall trees, and with only the steam and stars to illuminate her, Sesshomaru thought she looked more fragile than usual. Gently – ever so gently – he pulled her closer so that they nearly touched. He felt her gasp against his chest, turning away. He waited for her to return her eyes to his, and when she did, he reached up, dislodging the wooden pin that secured her hair in its messy bun. It cascaded over her shoulders, wild and unruly, framing her face in sorrel waves. Scooping the hot water into his hand, he ladled it over her head, watching the strands darken as they soaked.

Tsumi was trembling with effort and fear; her body was at odds with her mind, and there were too many sensations at once for her to negate all of them. She bit her lip, sternly trying to repress her reaction to Sesshomaru.

He saw through this, though. _Old habits die hard, I suppose_, he noted, inwardly sighing. Deciding to speed things up, he plunged his fingers into her thick locks, carefully dragging his claws down her scalp, breaking tangles and ensnaring new ones as he went. He reveled in the way her body went limp against his, the feeling of her surrender. She was so much softer than he'd imagined, small and breakable. Fire rushed through him when he thought about it, and all that it meant. He leaned forward, tucking a mass of her hair behind an ear and whispered, "Turn around."

She gave him a desperate, pleading look before obeying him. It was strange to see her so obedient, but for once, she seemed to know what was good for her, and what was not.

Sesshomaru put his hands to her head, one on each temple, and lowered her gently backwards into the water, wetting her hair. She gazed up at him through the steamy darkness, eyes full, lips even fuller with anticipation. He brought a wet finger to her cheek, stroking her scar again.

"I am sorry for this," he told her, sincerity creeping into his even voice.

She shook her head, righting herself. Keeping her back to him, Tsumi waited patiently while Sesshomaru poured the oil into his hands, lathering it between them before putting it to her hair. They were comfortably silent as he started at the top of her head, soaping up the roots first before spreading the stuff all the way through her mass of tangled hair. As he worked, he found little ways to touch her: his lips beside her ear, whispering things she wasn't sure she understood; his knuckles, dipping into the water, brushing passively over her breasts; his mouth, covering a patch of her neck just below her jaw, soft tongue flickering against her hot skin.

Tsumi bit back a moan as he continued to kiss her neck, doing her best to contain herself, knowing she would eventually fail. When he nipped her softly on the cheek, she gritted her teeth, straining not to cry out, wondering if he would misread her pleasure for pain. He pulled her ever closer, and she could feel his naked body against hers, could feel him stiffening behind her. This was too much, and she let loose an agonized groan. She thought she could feel him smiling into her hair as he rinsed it. Growing impatient, she imitated him and threw herself beneath the water's surface. The heat felt so good, surrounding her on all sides. She couldn't see anything, and waited until her lungs began to ache before resurfacing. Opening her eyes, she found she was facing him now, and something compelled her forward; in the end, it was her body that claimed victory. Tsumi twined her arms around Sesshomaru's pale column of neck and pulled herself upward, drawing on the strength of his shoulders. Burying her face in the hollow of his neck, she pressed her lips over his skin, tasting him, allowing herself the thing she had been denying for so long.

Sesshomaru felt his body uncoil itself, surprising him. His muscles seemed to know what to do without him, his arms rising to accommodate Tsumi, his hands – seemingly of their volition – scouring her up and down, pinning her to his chest. She didn't seem to mind. She sighed against him, trailing her kisses further and further up until she reached his cheek. There, she planted one last kiss against a magenta stripe, admiring it. She brushed it with her fingertips, cocking her head to one side.

"What are these?" she asked. Her eyes had left his stripes, however, to settle on his blue crescent.

Lowering her back into the water, he said, "I am a taiyoukai." That was explanation enough, it seemed, for she had tensed again. He stroked her hair while she hid herself from him. "Does that displease you?" he asked, genuinely confused. "That would be an honor, in the eyes of some."

Tsumi sighed hotly against his chest. "It is only, I do not believe in fairy tales."

He thought he understood, and felt a vague, painful sensation spreading through his chest and trickling into his stomach. He couldn't name it, and he didn't want to.

Tsumi watched Sesshomaru turn and hoist himself out of the water with ease; he was arched over the bank of the spring, rummaging quietly through his clothes. She tried not to stare too avidly at his backside, and failed miserably. When he slid back into the water, he had something in his hand –

"My comb," she said out loud. He was beckoning her closer, but her mind's gears were turning, putting two and two together. "You went in my room."

"Yes," he said, dismissive. "Which reminds me, why is my sash in your bed?" He was smiling though, knowingly.

_You don't need an answer_, she thought, _you just want me to admit defeat_. Stubbornly, Tsumi avoided his question, allowing herself to be turned around. She was right up against him, and he was combing out her hair; she could feel his muscles contracting against her with every movement. _The comb, the kimono, the flowers_, she counted, _and this stuff of course_, she watched a few suds slide down her wet hair as the teeth of the comb chased them out. "Four gifts," she said aloud.

"Hm."

"Thanks for the farewell," she said sarcastically, for gifts that came in fours were usually a death wish.

Sesshomaru shrugged against her; she shivered. "There's a fifth. I just haven't decided to give it to you yet."

"Still," she sighed, "four seems more appropriate." She groaned when Sesshomaru tugged hard on a lock of her hair. He growled low in her ear and whipped her around so that they were facing one another. His eyes seethed, the only evidence that she might have angered him. Without warning, he held her cheeks between his hands, silencing any further questions with his own mouth, allowing his tongue to glide over her lips. Tsumi almost opened her mouth, until a sharp pain in her side made her pull away from him, keening. His arms did not let her go, instead pulling her closer to him, as if trying to squeeze the pain from her body.

Tsumi went limp against him, shocked. Through wide eyes, she watched the shadow of night ebb as water seeped out of her eyes. She coughed a few times, a wracking, all-encompassing cough. Sesshomaru's claws dug into her back where he was holding her.

"I..." she faltered, "I thought the pain – I thought it was gone." She was gasping, hand clutched to her side. It was fading now, like a single stitch where there once had been a fractured fault line. Still, the memory of it was vivid and sharp, and her hot tears still fell onto Sesshomaru's shoulder. She buried her face in his hair, soaked as it was.

"You're still in denial." His voice rumbled through her body. He waited for a response, but got nothing more than stifled sobs. "You can choose to accept your pain." He paused, feeling her soft, fragile body rise and fall with his chest. "Know that it never goes away. You just learn to live with it."

Tsumi tightened her hold around his neck, worming impossibly closer to him. "Even demons?" she asked in his ear, nuzzling it.

"No." He hesitated, deciding the truth was just fine. "We don't feel that kind of pain. We embrace what we want wholeheartedly and without question." His blood ran cold when she pried herself from his grasp, turning her back on him.

"I see." Her voice, still weepy, crept around the edges of their pool, saturated in sadness. "For instance," she glanced at him over her bare shoulder, "you'll still hand me to Naraku, even after this." She faced him again, kissing his jaw. A drop of warm water trickled out of her hair and slid onto the ledge of his shoulder, running slowly, tortuously down the length of the phantom limb. The drop was only half real to him though, a ghost on his skin, a half-thing.

Without a second thought, he said, "Yes."

oOo

When dawn broke, it brought to Kanna a strange sense of emptiness. The sun's first light was sweet and pale, periwinkle and peach blanketing the sky; a dewy coolness clung to the air, mild and timid. The very earth beneath her feet seemed different somehow, the grass softer and the soil giving way too easily between her toes.

_The girl's aura still clings to the air, though_, Kanna noticed, tasting it with the tip of her tongue. It was weak now, almost as broken as the dawn. Tentatively, Kanna approached the hill. She extended a tiny hand, carefully offering her fingers up in experimental sacrifice, but was met with no resistance. The barrier, it seemed, had disappeared. Kanna stood back a moment to observe the hill. _So, Sesshomaru_, she thought, neither amused or concerned, _you did not find what you'd hoped for_. Beginning her ascent, she took no solace in the gentle blades of grass that tickled her feet. _Or was it self-restraint?_ she wondered.

Either way, Naraku would be pleased.

Upon cresting the hill, Kanna could see Sesshomaru, stoic and trance-like, sitting between the roots of a great tree. Not far from him, the double-headed dragon slumbered, its snores like thunder in stereo. Only when she was a yard away did Sesshomaru crack open an eye and acknowledge her presence.

"And to what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked dryly, taken aback by the curious little messenger. He had been expecting a visit, but not from Kanna.

Without the need – or perhaps the capacity – for small pleasantries, Kanna got straight to the point. "Naraku requests that you take the girl and leave. But do not hurry – you are to meet him in a place of his choosing." Her pale, little hands caressed her mirror.

Suspicion bubbled in his gut. Sesshomaru shifted amongst the roots, crossing his arms. "Why the change in plans?" Though his voice remained steady, he had to repress a hitch of irritation in his throat, where it splintered, festering. This was not the first time Naraku had misled him and he wasn't about to forget it.

"Complications have arisen," Kanna said, her eyes imposing upon Sesshomaru's own. "They must be overcome." It would not do to give away her master's secrets.

Reluctant as he was, Sesshomaru could feel his hesitation causing him physical pain in his phantom arm. It began as a buzzing, not wholly unpleasant, but not especially comfortable, either. But the more he pondered duping Naraku, the more painful the sensation became, and so he felt his resolve soften just a bit more. "Where is this place of his choosing, then?" he asked.

Closing her eyes, Kanna positioned the mirror so that the brightest rays of light caught its surface, and a hazy image was painted there for Sesshomaru to see. He watched as an insubstantial version of himself, and of Jaken, Rin and Tsumi arrived together at what appeared to be a vast, verdant plain. There was no landmark, nothing to indicate a precise location until Sesshomaru stared just a little more intently at the rolling, grassy hills. Deep valleys were carved from shallow lumps and the grass was so very, very green. During his travels, Sesshomaru had seen this place before, but he remembered it as insignificant.

"Very well. But if this too should fall through," he deadpanned, "I will have my compensation."

With that vacant stare of hers, she cocked her head to one side, observing him. And then, without a single cue, she turned on her little heel and descended, disappearing into the morning mist, leaving Sesshomaru to contemplate all possible routes to treachery.

oOo

The boy was waiting for her. Tired and fidgety, Kohaku was standing uneasily in the castle yard, shifting his weight from foot to foot. He glanced up, skittish, when she appeared seemingly from nowhere. He stayed still, stiff as a board. Still, he managed to stammer, "How is it?" Meaning, of course, the status of Sesshomaru's progress.

Kanna was many things, but stupid could not be counted among them. She knew he was fishing, and she knew from whose line he'd been cast. It might have pained her, were she anyone but herself. As it was, she glided easily past him, and answered in little more than a whisper, "The sun's light rises over a new day, as it does every day." While stupid certainly wasn't a term that could be applied to Kohaku, her meaning was lost on him, just as she'd intended. And were she anyone but herself, she might have smirked at the bewildered expression on his young face.

Kohaku stood, toes wriggling frustratedly in the dirt at having his reconnaissance thwarted so effortlessly.

The halls of the castle were quiet – too quiet. There had never been such a blanket of noise as there was in common castles: no commotion of servants or confusion of lesser nobles roaming the halls, but there was always some static undercurrent in the background, just beneath the surface. The rustle of leaves or the sweet whistle of the wind, the whisper of dust as it rolled along the barren ground. There was none of that today. All was silent.

Kanna padded through each of the hushed hallways, taking note of the absolute stillness of the air, her skin prickling. Yet inside, she did not churn as she should have. There was no inner chaos; she knew the rhyme and reason. And it settled blithely in her stomach, irrelevant.

She did not knock at his door. She paused for a respectful moment before letting herself in, offering no greeting. He was there, swathed in a cobalt yukata, his back to her. His shoulders remained relaxed, his back straight, neck elevated. And yet, there was a tension about the air around him, constantly working, never resting.

"Kanna." It was a greeting and a command all at once. Carefully, she sat before him, presenting her mirror. She did not meet his eyes – not in fear, but to keep a gracious distance.

Naraku gazed at the pool of glass intently, lines appearing on his fair face. He scowled at first, bemused with what he was seeing. A miniature version of Sesshomaru, standing tall over the girl's bed, gently waking her with a slender hand on her face. The mirror was concise with the details of the scene: Sesshomaru's claws tensing on the girl's fragile human skin, the sharp retreat of his chest as he caught his breath. Then the vision shifted, giving way to Tsumi, fully dressed and chasing after Rin, trying to convince the young one to clamber onto that ridiculous beast of burden alongside the impish green toad.

"So. He went without a fuss."

Kanna said nothing.

"Look at the silly girl, chasing after the little brat as if she were her own. How delightfully pathetic," he chuckled, watching the scene disappear in a smoky haze. His thoughts strayed to the arm, growing at full tilt – uninterrupted, finally – beneath them. "Perhaps Sesshomaru will consider taking residence with us, once he realizes who is pulling the strings." It was an amusing notion, one he could endlessly entertain himself with. "How quaint, for him to watch the girl's degeneration at my hand – and with no power of his own to stop me."

He hissed then, as a twinge of pain erupted inside of him.

"Damn it," he growled to himself, feeling the rebellious tug on some muscle, tucked deep and away inside. "I'll rid myself of _your_ burden as soon as I have the girl." He reached for his cup then, and Kanna saw that it was steaming with the usual acrid, sappy concoction. He sipped it, cheeks hollowing at the bitterness, but relaxing as Kagura's assault died down. "Once Tsumi is mine," he relayed for her benefit, "not only will I possess and unyieldingly faithful servant, but one who does not – talk – back."

Kanna averted her eyes. _Naraku and Sesshomaru – they are not so different_, she thought, thoughts flashing to the scene in the mirror, to the soft change in the air at the hill, to the deep crag in Tsumi's aura. _Sesshomaru, the deeper you drag her inside of you, the bigger the burden on your heart. _Kanna glanced up at her master, appraising him from all angles. _But should you allow her to stray too far from your reach_, she mused, _you will suffer indefinitely_. This, of course, applied to either demon, and to Kagura and Tsumi equally. _It is strange, how you live your lives in such close parallel, Naraku and Sesshomaru. Very strange indeed._

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><p>An: Please do review this chapter. I feel a little shaky about the story and I would like to know what y'all think I'm doing well and if there is anything I ought to consider changing/fixing. Be considerate though, please. I'm a writer: my ego is fragile :)_  
><em>


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